By Africa Bazaar Statt Writer | INSIDE AFRICA
Ghana is urging the African Union to formally address rising xenophobic attacks targeting foreign nationals in South Africa, warning that violence against African migrants and businesses threatens the continent’s broader push for economic integration and investment.
During bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the African Union Extraordinary Summit in Accra, Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama reiterated his call for the AU to place the issue on the agenda for its next summit, arguing that attacks against African nationals in South Africa and the destruction of their businesses require a continental response.
President Mahama said AU Commission Chairman Mahmoud Ali Youssouf has acknowledged the urgency of bringing the matter forward for discussion among member states.
The move follows a meeting earlier in the week between the President and South Africa’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola, who was sent as a Special Envoy by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa to Accra to speak with President Mahama. Mahama said he used the meeting to clarify that Ghana’s concerns are not directed at South Africa as a nation, but at the recurring attacks and economic losses suffered by citizens from across Africa.
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“Ghana does not harbor ill will toward South Africa,” Mahama said, emphasizing that the issue is about protecting African citizens, businesses and investments across borders.
The dispute underscores growing tensions between the ideals of African unity and continental integration, and the economic realities facing migrants who operate businesses and seek opportunities across the continent.
Ghana argued that ignoring the issue would not address the underlying causes of xenophobic violence, including economic frustration, unemployment pressures and social tensions.
“Sweeping this matter under the carpet will not resolve its root causes,” Mahama said, adding that formally placing the issue before the AU would provide South Africa with a constructive platform to present its perspective while allowing member states to work toward a long-term solution.
The debate comes as African governments continue efforts to deepen trade and investment ties under the African Continental Free Trade Area, which aims to increase cross-border commerce and create a more integrated single market.
Asked earlier this month during a panel discussion for his view on the unfolding crisis in South Africa, AfCTA Secretary General Wamkele Meme said he was disappointed in how South Africans have treated fellow African immigrants living in South Africa, based on what he had saw and read in news reports.
The international community—both on the political and business sides—is also keeping a close eye on this issue. As the most industrialized country on the continent, South Africa is seen as a major gateway to Africa, while Ghana is emerging as a key business investment destination for foreign capital.
Experts told Africa Bazaar that investors and potential businesses as well as corporations already operating across Africa, see social stability and protection of foreign-owned enterprises as increasingly important factors in evaluating market opportunities. Hence, the matter needs to be resolved sooner than later to maintain African unity and the continent’s regional market integration underway.
Ghana said it remains committed to working with AU member states to protect the “dignity, safety and investments” of Africans across the continent.
The issue now moves to the AU’s broader diplomatic agenda, where leaders will face questions about how to balance national economic pressures with the continent’s long-term vision of free movement, trade and shared prosperity.
