Xenophobia: Ghana Warns Citizens Against Travelling to South Africa, Nigeria Cautions Against Reprisals

The Ghanaian government has warned its citizens against travelling to South Africa due to rising xenophobic violence targeting African immigrants in parts of the country.

In an advisory issued on Monday, Ghana asked its citizens to suspend all non-essential travel to South Africa, stating that African immigrants in the country remain subjected to physical assault and harassment despite widespread public condemnation.

“Groups presenting as anti-immigrant vigilantes have been carrying out violent xenophobic attacks in parts of the country, causing degrees of injuries, closure and takeover of businesses, looting and loss of property,” the advisory read.

The development marks the latest in a series of efforts by Ghana to protect its citizens, following the repatriation of about 300 Ghanaians from Johannesburg to Accra last week. A second chartered flight is expected to evacuate more Ghanaians in the coming days.

Ghana noted that the attacks have continued despite numerous steps taken by the administration of President John Dramani Mahama, including conveying formal protests at the highest diplomatic level, summoning the South African Acting High Commissioner in Accra, petitioning the African Union, and evacuating Ghanaian nationals.

According to Ghanaian authorities, the attacks run counter to the Pan-African ideals of African unity and solidarity. Ghana has also called on the African Union to add the xenophobic violence to the agenda of the upcoming AU summit.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has warned Nigerians against reprisal attacks in response to the rising tensions.

In a statement on Sunday, the NPF assured that the government is “actively engaging relevant authorities through diplomatic, intelligence, and security channels to resolve the situation.” The force declared that “there is no cause for alarm” and cautioned that reprisal attacks against any South African in Nigeria will not be tolerated.

“Reprisal attacks, violence, intimidation, destruction of property, hate speech, or any conduct that threatens public peace and national security is unlawful and will not be tolerated,” the NPF said. “Consequently, any attempt to target South African nationals, diplomatic facilities, businesses, or other lawful interests within Nigeria will be treated as a criminal act and dealt with in accordance with extant laws.”

The police also urged the public to refrain from spreading unverified, inflammatory, or inciting information on social media, warning that sharing false or provocative content could escalate tensions and undermine diplomatic efforts.

The latest wave of xenophobic violence in South Africa has triggered reactions across the African continent and strained diplomatic relations. Nigeria earlier summoned the South African High Commissioner in Abuja and demanded a thorough investigation into the deaths of two Nigerians killed by Pretoria security operatives last month. Kenya has also issued a travel advisory to its citizens urging caution in South Africa.

Source: Premium Times