The government has formally requested the African Union (AU) to place the issue of xenophobic attacks in the Republic of South Africa against African nationals on the agenda of its upcoming eighth mid-year coordination meeting.
In a letter written to the AU by the government on May 6, 2026, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, described the matter as one of “urgent continental interest”, ahead of the meeting scheduled for June 24-27, this year, in El Alamein, Egypt.
Mr Ablakwa said the government remained deeply concerned about the recurrence of xenophobic incidents in South Africa, which had resulted in the loss of lives and destruction of investments.
He said the situation also posed serious risks to the safety and well-being of many African nationals living in that country.
“It is particularly troubling that manifestations of xenophobia, including violent attacks against fellow Africans, have persisted in recent years,” the minister said.
He added that the development was especially worrying given the longstanding solidarity African states demonstrated during the struggle against apartheid and South Africa’s subsequent democratic transformation.
Responsibility
The minister acknowledged South Africa’s sovereignty and its primary responsibility to protect all persons within its territory.
However, he said the targeting of nationals from other African countries challenged the shared principles of African solidarity, brotherhood and continental unity to which all AU member states were committed.
Mr Ablakwa said that the attacks constituted a violation of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, to which South Africa was a State Party.
He also said the incidents undermined the spirit of integration and Pan-Africanism, and run counter to the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which sought to promote free movement and a common market for all Africans.
Proposals
Mr Ablakwa demanded that the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC), Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, acting under the authority of the AU Chairperson and Burundian President, Évariste Ndayishimiye, considered four measures during the deliberations.
It included inscribing the matter on the agenda of the Eighth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in line with the rules of procedure, and strengthening AU’s monitoring mechanisms to support Member States in upholding their obligations under the AU Constitutive Act and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The rest were the establishment of a fact-finding mission to examine the underlying causes of xenophobic violence in South Africa, and recommend remedial interventions as well as the facilitation of dialogue and reconciliation initiatives to promote tolerance, inclusion and continental unity.
Collaboration
Mr Ablakwa said Africa’s future should be one of shared dignity, prosperity and mutual respect, despite the painful legacy of slavery, colonialism and apartheid.
“As Ghana’s founder and renowned Pan-Africanist, Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, consistently proclaimed, the full potential and emancipation of Africa can only be achieved when Africa unites.
That aspiration begins with a collective resolve to ensure that no African is dehumanised on African soil,” he said.
Source:
www.graphic.com.gh