Ghanaian President John Mahama has renewed calls for the African Union (AU) to address escalating anti-migrant violence in South Africa, warning that the unrest could undermine African solidarity and regional integration.
Mahama said the violence, which has targeted immigrants accused by local groups of taking jobs and accessing scarce resources, requires a coordinated continental response.
South Africa has experienced weeks of protests and unrest directed at undocumented migrants, with more than 160,000 foreign nationals reportedly leaving the country over the past two months amid growing fears of violence. Several migrants have also reportedly been killed.
Ghana initially called for the African Union to discuss the issue in May. Mahama said AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf had acknowledged the urgent need to put the matter on the agenda of the bloc’s next summit, scheduled for February next year.
“Placing this on the AU agenda gives South Africa a formal, constructive platform to share its perspective, and together, as a continent, work toward a lasting solution,” Mahama said in a social media post.
The Ghanaian president also met Youssouf on the sidelines of an AU meeting in Accra, where he expressed concern that South African authorities were not responding adequately to the scale of the unrest.
Mahama alleged that individuals financing the xenophobic attacks were known but had not been sufficiently held accountable.
He argued that the African Union should take a greater interest in the situation because continued violence could damage efforts towards African unity and integration.
According to Ghanaian media reports, Youssouf described the violence as a major concern for the AU Commission. He reportedly said he had previously raised the issue with South Africa’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola, who indicated that undocumented migrants should be dealt with through established legal processes.
However, Youssouf expressed concern that groups accused of harassing African migrants continued to operate without sufficient consequences.
Ghana and Nigeria have emerged as among the most vocal critics of the anti-migrant violence.
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) also backed Ghana’s call for an AU debate during a summit at the weekend, urging discussions aimed at finding a lasting solution and condemning the treatment of West African citizens in South Africa.
The unrest has also prompted legal action. Two Ghanaian nationals have petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC), calling for an investigation into what they described as repeated xenophobic attacks and alleged failures by South African authorities to protect foreign nationals.
The petitioners, former Ghanaian government spokesperson Palgrave Boakye-Danquah and counterterrorism analyst Emmanuel Kotin, accused authorities of failing to prevent, investigate and prosecute alleged unlawful killings and hate speech.
South African government spokesperson Chrispin Phiri rejected the claims, saying the petition did not meet the threshold required for an ICC investigation. He added that South Africa has laws addressing hate crimes and hate speech.
Diplomatic relations between Ghana and South Africa have also been affected by the unrest. Earlier this month, Ghana postponed a planned visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, amid concerns that the violence would overshadow discussions during the trip.
Ramaphosa subsequently sent his foreign minister to meet with Mahama.
The Ghanaian president said he made clear that Ghana had “no ill will” towards South Africa but remained deeply concerned about the attacks and the significant financial losses suffered by African nationals affected by the unrest.
Mahama’s renewed call for an AU debate comes as governments across Africa face growing pressure to respond collectively to the treatment of their citizens in South Africa and prevent the crisis from further damaging relations between African countries.