A former Ghana High Commissioner to South Africa, Charles Owiredu, has described a recent statement by South Africa’s police ministry on xenophobic attacks as inadequate.
In a Facebook post on Friday, April 24, the Ministry of Police of South Africa said the acts of violence and intimidation were unacceptable and would not be tolerated.
“The Ministry of Police strongly condemns the recent xenophobic acts of violence and intimidation directed at Ghanaian nationals and other foreign nationals within the Republic of South Africa,” the statement said.
According to Mr Owiredu, similar responses have been issued in the past, yet the violence continues to recur, raising concerns about the effectiveness of current measures.
“What I see now is that it is not enough for the Ministry of Police to issue a statement and say they are condemning it and having a joint statement with our foreign minister, it doesn’t help because it has never helped the solution,” he added.
Speaking on the matter, Mr Owiredu stressed the need for a different and more decisive approach to address the situation in South Africa.
He further called for the involvement of the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union, describing their engagement as critical to efforts aimed at curbing the recurring attacks.
“What the High Commissioner needs to do now is to involve the other ECOWAS Ambassadors and then get the AU. Because this is not peculiar to Ghana alone. What is happening is not only directed at Ghanaians; all other countries are faced with this.”
His remarks come amid renewed concern over the safety of foreign nationals following recent xenophobic incidents in parts of South Africa.
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Source: www.myjoyonline.com