President John Dramani Mahama has called on the African Union (AU) to take an active interest in xenophobic attacks in South Africa, warning that the violence threatens African solidarity and continental integration.
His comments come amid concerns over attacks targeting African migrants in South Africa, which have prompted Ghana to evacuate some of its citizens affected by the violence.
The President said Ghana has suffered significant human and financial costs from the attacks, including the deaths of two citizens, injuries to several others and the evacuation of Ghanaians from South Africa.
Speaking during bilateral engagements with visiting Presidents at the Presidency, President Mahama described the situation as traumatic and expressed concern about what he considers an inadequate response from South African authorities.
“For the countries that have been victims, it’s been a very traumatic affair. When something like this happens, it sets all of us back. People have been displaced, their property has been taken, their businesses have been closed, and indeed we lost two of our citizens who were killed. Several people were injured and had to be admitted in hospital,” he said.
President Mahama further alleged that individuals financing the attacks are known but have not been adequately dealt with.
“It doesn’t appear that the South African authorities are responding to the magnitude that one would expect them to do. The persons who are funding these xenophobic attacks are known, and they have been left free to continue to do what they want to do, and so it’s become something they are doing with impunity,” he stated.
According to the President, Ghana has already operated three charter flights to evacuate affected citizens and is preparing another three flights for about 900 people who have voluntarily registered to return home.
He noted that some of those returning had lived and established businesses in South Africa for between 15 and 20 years, requiring the government to provide financial assistance to help them reintegrate into Ghanaian society.
President Mahama said the scale and implications of the attacks make them a continental issue that requires the attention of the AU.
“So I do think that, I mean, as the continental body, AU should take an interest in this issue because it has the potential to wreck everything that we have worked for, African solidarity, African integration, and all that,” he said.
He disclosed that Ghana had sought to place the matter on the agenda of an AU meeting scheduled to take place in Egypt, but the meeting was postponed.
The President said Ghana would continue pushing for the issue to be discussed at the next available opportunity.
President Mahama also disclosed that South African President Cyril Ramaphosa had sent a delegation to meet him over the situation.
He stressed that Ghana bears no hostility towards South Africa but believes the matter must be openly discussed rather than ignored.
