ECOWAS takes united stand against xenophobia in South Africa

by EMEKA OKONKWO
ABUJA, (CAJ News) – THE united stance adopted by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) against the xenophobic violence in South Africa is altering the continent’s political landscape.

This past weekend, Ghana reported that it had received the full backing of fellow regional states for its petition to the African Union (AU).

Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, revealed this as he participated in the ECOWAS Council of Ministers meetings in Sierra Leone ahead of Sunday’s (yesterday’s) convening of the Authority of Heads of State and Government.

“I commend the ECOWAS Council of Ministers for declaring full support for Ghana’s petition to the African Union against xenophobia and for their unconditional endorsement of the Accra Next Steps Commitments on Reparatory Justice,” he said.

The minister said the country would keep working tirelessly towards the attainment of Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s dream of a united, tolerant and prosperous Africa.

Nkrumah, who died in 1972, was a Pan-African revolutionary who served as the first Prime Minister (1957) and President (1960) of independent Ghana after the end of British colonial rule.

He championed the vision of a politically united Africa.

Ghana believes South Africa has betrayed these ideals as the latter experiences anti-migrant protests that have turned deadly.

Around 1 000 Ghanaians have been evacuated from South Africa as part of ongoing repatriation efforts prompted by the protests and violence.

This has triggered a highly publicised diplomatic row between the two countries.

Ghana formally petitioned the AU in May in an official letter. In the memo, Ablakwa requested that the AU place the growing anti-immigrant and xenophobic violence in South Africa on the agenda of the AU Mid-Year Coordination Meeting.

Ghana urged the continental body to launch an official probe and establish a fact-finding mission, warning that the hostilities violate the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and threaten the progress of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

South Africa described the decision as “regrettable” and argued the situation was an irregular migration crisis rather than targeted xenophobia.

South Africa successfully blocked the item from being debated at the AU Mid-Year Coordination Meeting in June.

This past weekend, Ghana and Nigeria solidified their stance on the sidelines of an ECOWAS summit, calling for “Afrophobia” in South Africa to be tabled comprehensively at the next AU summit in early 2027.

Nigeria has officially evacuated 1 490 citizens from South Africa under a voluntary repatriation programme that concluded last Tuesday.

While Nigeria-headquartered ECOWAS typically restricts its mandate to West African affairs, the high number of West African nationals targeted in South African cities has forced the regional bloc to intervene.

During the Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Parliament in Nigeria in May, legislators condemned the escalating violence.

The parliament passed an official directive ordering its Committee on Political Affairs to launch a full investigation into the attacks targeting ECOWAS citizens.

There have been retributive threats from politicians and activists in Ghana and Nigeria to seize, nationalise or target South African corporate assets.

Auta Ibrahim, a commentator on West African politics, said the unified stance of the 12-nation ECOWAS was significant because it had completely altered the political landscape.

“It is shifting the crisis from a localised bilateral dispute between South Africa and Ghana into a major institutional battle between Africa’s dominant regional blocs,” he said.

– CAJ News