Nigeria tells South Africa to curb xenophobic attacks on migrants, questions state response

By Camillus Eboh

ABUJA, July 27 (Reuters) – Nigeria urged South Africa on Monday to do more to prevent xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other African migrants, saying repeated violence was straining ties and raising questions about whether the government was complicit.

The comments came during talks in Abuja between Nigerian officials and a South African delegation led by Special Envoy and International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola.

Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sola Enikanolaiye said President Bola Tinubu had ordered the meeting to address what Abuja described as persistent “Afrophobic attacks” targeting Nigerians and other African migrants in South Africa.

South African vigilantes have attacked foreign nationals and looted foreign-owned shops on numerous occasions in the last few months, as many South Africans blame immigrants for problems such as crime and unemployment.

At least four people have been killed. Anti-immigrant protesters called for undocumented migrants to leave last month and marched in several South African cities.

At least 1,490 Nigerians have been evacuated from South Africa since the latest outbreak of xenophobic violence, Nigerian officials said.

“We have seen a pattern that has become a concern to the Nigerian government,” Enikanolaiye said, citing outbreaks of anti-migrant violence dating to 1995. He said at least 98 Nigerians had been killed in xenophobic attacks since 2022.

As Africa’s most industrialised economy, South Africa has attracted migrants from Nigeria as well as other countries including Ghana, Mozambique and Malawi.

Enikanolaiye said not only suspected criminals have been attacked but also nationals legally living in South Africa.

He added that Nigerian authorities documented cases in which police appeared unwilling to intervene, raising “issues of complicity if the state authorities are unwilling or not able” to protect foreign nationals.

Lamola said South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government was firmly opposed to xenophobia, racism and discrimination.

Enikanolaiye said that while Nigeria does not condone criminal activity by its citizens abroad, suspects should face due process rather than mob violence.

“If there are criminals, the solution is not to kill them. Get them arrested, prosecuted.”

(Reporting by Camillus Eboh in Abuja; Writing by lisha Bala-Gbogbo; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)