By Enyichukwu Enemanna
South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa says his country will send envoys to Nigeria and across other African countries, aiming to address the recent anti-immigrant violence which strained Pretoria’s relations with Abuja.
The initiative aims to engage regional and international partners to manage tensions around migration and xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals.
In response to the xenophobic regime, several African governments, including Malawi, Mozambique, and Ghana, have started repatriating citizens from South Africa and offering assistance at home.
Ramaphosa emphasized that most South Africans are not xenophobic and reiterated the government’s commitment to resolving the issues and restore regional confidence.
Speaking alongside Kenyan President William Ruto in Pretoria on Thursday, Ramaphosa said South Africa would engage regional and international partners to address growing tensions surrounding migration and attacks on foreign nationals.
“There will be envoys, yes, there will be people that we will send around not only on the continent but also around the world,” Ramaphosa said.
The South African leader added that migration had featured prominently in discussions with Ruto, arguing that the issue required a coordinated response from governments across Africa and beyond as per Reuters.
“What we seek to do is to get the issue of migration properly addressed… we should get as many key role players, countries, to work together,” he said.
The diplomatic outreach comes as several African nations have begun taking concrete steps to protect citizens living in South Africa amid renewed reports of attacks targeting migrants.
Malawi this week announced plans for a voluntary repatriation exercise for citizens wishing to return home from South Africa. In a statement, Lilongwe said it was making arrangements to provide consular assistance and logistical support to affected nationals.
Mozambique has also initiated the return of its citizens following the violence. Authorities reported that at least seven Mozambicans had died, including five killed in xenophobic attacks and two who died in a road accident while attempting to return home.
