The Nigerian government on Monday summoned South Africa’s top diplomatic envoy to complain about “xenophobic” anti-migrant protests, following in the footsteps of a similar complaint from Ghana and Mozambique.
South African groups held a series of marches and rallies last week to protest against mass migration and illegal immigrants. The rallies, which drew hundreds of mostly black attendees, included some angry exchanges with immigrant onlookers and scuffles with police.
The organizers of the rallies included March to March, an anti-migration group formed by outspoken South African radio personality Jacinda Ngobese-Zuma, and Operation Dudula, a self-described “vigilante group.”
The members of these groups appear to be especially critical of Nigerian migrants, whom they characterize as lazy and prone to crime and welfare dependency. A viral video emerged from a demonstration two weeks ago in which a group of anti-migration “vigilantes” surrounded and harassed a man from Ghana, demanded to see his documents, rejected their authenticity when he produced them, and then told him to return home and “fix his country.”
Ghana summoned the South African ambassador to complain about “acts of intimidation and harassment” last week. Ghanaian officials also met with the man from the viral video, stressed that he is a legal immigrant to South Africa, and reminded all Ghanaian nationals living in South Africa to be “law-abiding” at all times.
Nigeria took its turn to lodge a complaint on Monday, apparently unsatisfied by promises from the South African police that “acts of xenophobia, violence, looting, or intimidation will not be tolerated under any circumstances.”
Nigeria reportedly demanded a “thorough and impartial investigation” into incidents of violence against its nationals in South Africa, along with the release of case files, autopsy reports, and other documents pertaining to attacks on Nigerian migrants. There have been at least two fatalities linked to anti-migration riots, and both Nigerian and Ghanaian immigrants in South Africa claim their businesses have been looted by anti-migration mobs.
Nigeria and Ghana were not completely satisfied with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s public statements on the situation because he stressed the importance of proper documentation for migrants in addition to condemning violence perpetrated against them.
The Nigerian Foreign Ministry made specific complaints against March to March and Operation Dudula, demanding South African law enforcement pay closer attention to those groups. On the other hand, the foreign ministry acknowledged that Nigerians in South Africa have staged some heated counter-demonstrations, and cautioned them to avoid “taking the law into their own hands.”
On Saturday, Nigerian Foreign Minister Blanca Odumegwu-Ojukwu announced evacuation flights had been arranged for at least 130 Nigerians who wanted to flee South Africa due to rising xenophobia.
“This figure is expected to rise,” Odumegwo-Ojukwu said. “Nigerian lives and businesses in South Africa must not continue to be put at risk.”
“The images pervading both mainstream and social media depicting violence, carnage, and targeted xenophobic killings of foreign nationals and demonstrations characterized by xenophobic rhetoric, hate speeches, and incendiary anti-migrant statements by the arrowheads of such rallies, have generated worldwide condemnation,” she said.
The president of Mozambique, Daniel Chapo, announced on Monday that he has been invited to a meeting with Ramaphosa to discuss “xenophobic hostility” against Mozambican nationals in South Africa.
Mozambican youth groups on Sunday threatened to begin blocking South African trucks from crossing the border in retaliation against the anti-migration movement in South Africa.
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