Ghana Requests AU Agenda on Xenophobic Attacks in South Africa

Ghana has formally requested that the African Union place recurring xenophobic attacks against African nationals in South Africa on the agenda of its upcoming midyear coordination meeting, prompting a sharp response from Pretoria, which described the move as regrettable and insisted it had swiftly addressed recent incidents.

In a diplomatic note dated May 6 and addressed to the AU Commission chairperson, Ghana's Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa urged inclusion of the issue at the Eighth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, set for June 24 to 27 in El Alamein, Egypt. The letter highlighted deaths, destruction of investments and risks to African nationals' safety, framing the violence as a threat to continental unity, Pan-African solidarity and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights. Ghana also called for strengthened AU monitoring of xenophobic incidents and a fact-finding mission into root causes.

South Africa's Ministry of International Relations and Cooperation issued a statement on Friday rejecting the escalation to the AU level. Officials said the government had condemned sporadic confrontations involving immigrants, including African nationals, earlier this...