By: Isaac Kwabena Boadu Date:8th May, 2026
The Government of the Republic of South Africa has formally taken note of the Republic of Ghana’s request to have the matter of alleged xenophobic violence against African nationals included on the agenda of the African Union’s Eighth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, scheduled to take place in El Alamein, Egypt, from 24 to 27 June 2026. Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, stated that while Pretoria was taken aback by the démarche, it considers the African Union forum an appropriate venue for comprehensive continental deliberation on the underlying causes and consequences of irregular migration and related social tensions.
In a diplomatic communication dated 6 May 2026, Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, requested that the African Union Commission address what Accra describes as recurrent xenophobic incidents in South Africa. The submission contends that such acts contravene the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and undermine the principles of Pan-African solidarity and the African Continental Free Trade Area. Ghana further proposed an African Union-led assessment mission and enhanced mechanisms to safeguard the rights and security of African migrants.
South African authorities have rejected the characterization of the country as inherently xenophobic, asserting that the challenges confronting it are rooted in structural inequalities, crime, and broader continental economic disparities.
Minister Lamola and Department of International Relations and Cooperation spokesperson Clayson Monyela affirmed South Africa’s readiness to present its position before the African Union, emphasizing transparency and the need for a collective continental approach to migration governance. The matter is anticipated to feature prominently during the forthcoming AU summit.
AFRICAN VOICES INTERNATIONAL, FREEDOM IN AFRICA
