Nigeria has summoned South Africa’s top diplomat in Abuja following renewed reports of attacks on foreign nationals, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Saturday.
According to the ministry’s spokesperson, Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, South Africa’s acting high commissioner in Abuja will meet Nigerian officials on Monday to address what he described as “documented cases of mistreatment of Nigerian citizens and attacks on their businesses.”
The move comes amid growing regional concern over xenophobic violence in South Africa. Just a week earlier, Ghana’s foreign ministry also summoned the South African acting high commissioner in Accra over reported attacks on Ghanaians.
Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, cited an incident in KwaZulu-Natal where a Ghanaian legal resident was allegedly confronted and told to leave South Africa and “fix his country.”
The Ghanaian statement also warned of rising tensions and advised foreign nationals, including Ghanaians, to remain indoors for safety.
South Africa, which hosts more than three million foreign nationals—about 5.1 percent of its population according to official statistics—has seen repeated concerns over attacks targeting immigrants. Over 63 percent of these migrants come from countries within the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
In response, South Africa’s acting police minister, Firoz Cachalia, recently condemned the violence, describing xenophobic attacks as unlawful and contrary to the country’s constitutional values of dignity and equality.
He stressed that “acts of xenophobia, violence, looting, or intimidation will not be tolerated under any circumstances”, adding that police have been directed to act decisively against perpetrators.
