Nigeria presses South Africa over anti-migrant violence

LAGOS: Nigeria on Monday urged South Africa to take stronger action against recurring attacks on Nigerians and other African migrants, saying the violence is straining relations between the two countries and raising concerns in Abuja about official inaction.

The issue was taken up in 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 directed that the meeting be held to address what Abuja called persistent “Afrophobic attacks” on Nigerians and other African migrants in South Africa.

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

Violence and evacuations

South African vigilante groups have attacked foreign nationals and looted foreign-owned shops several times in recent months, amid accusations by some South Africans that immigrants are linked to crime and unemployment. At least four people have been killed in the latest violence.

Anti-immigrant demonstrators also marched in several South African cities last month, calling for undocumented migrants to leave the country. Nigerian officials said at least 1,490 Nigerians have been evacuated from South Africa since the latest outbreak of xenophobic violence.

Enikanolaiye said the attacks had not been limited to suspected criminals, adding that Nigerians who were legally living in South Africa had also been targeted.

Regional migration pressures

As Africa’s most industrialised economy, South Africa has long attracted migrants from across the continent, including from Nigeria, Ghana, Mozambique and Malawi. Nigeria said the repeated attacks on foreign Africans had become a serious bilateral concern requiring a stronger response from Pretoria.