Harry Archie
Nigeria and Ghana have condemned the ongoing attacks on African migrants in South Africa and called for the issue to be discussed at the next African Union (AU) summit.
South Africa has experienced weeks of protests and violence targeting undocumented immigrants, forcing many people to leave the country.
According to reports, nearly 150,000 people have left South Africa in recent weeks after the unrest.
The issue was discussed on Friday by Nigeria’s Foreign Minister, Sola Enikanolaiye, and Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, during an ECOWAS meeting in Liberia.
In a statement, the Nigerian government said both ministers strongly condemned xenophobia, Afrophobia, intolerance and violence against fellow Africans.
The ministers also called for African countries to work together to address the causes of the violence and prevent further attacks.
Nigeria has evacuated 1,490 of its citizens from South Africa, while Ghana has brought home at least 926 nationals.
The two countries agreed that the issue of Afrophobia should be discussed by African leaders at the next African Union summit.
South Africa has long attracted migrants from across Africa because of its stronger economy, but tensions over immigration have led to repeated outbreaks of violence in recent years.
Earlier this year, Ghana asked the African Union to discuss xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
A planned visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Ghana was also postponed earlier this month because of the growing tensions.
