By Ayodele Oni
Nigeria has asked the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to take the issue of xenophobic attacks in South Africa from the regional bloc to the continental body, the African Union (AU).
Nigeria and Ghana, two leading members of ECOWAS, are among the countries worst hit by attacks on fellow Africans by mobs in South Africa, while the Cyril Ramaphosa government looks on.
Nigeria, like other countries whose citizens living in South Africa came under attack, had citizens killed, maimed or deprived of their means of livelihood through the looting of their shops, and subsequently evacuated many of them.
Citizens of Southern African countries neighbouring South Africa – Malawi, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Botswana, among others – were also not spared by the rampaging mobs.
President Bola Tinubu told the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Lungi, Sierra Leone, that xenophobia stands condemned.
“Nigeria condemns in strong terms the recent Afrophobic attack on its citizens and other fellow Africans in the Republic of South Africa.
“As already mentioned by His Excellency, the President of Ghana, ECOWAS should present this matter before the next meeting of the Authority of the African Union to send a clear message that this type of behaviour is unacceptable.
“South Africa should be reminded that the freedom the country currently enjoys is due to the liberation efforts of African countries such as Nigeria.
“The Nigerian Government has evacuated one thousand, four hundred and ninety of its citizens in seven batches and is prepared to engage on this matter.”
President Tinubu was represented at the summit by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
This position further expands the hint given by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, that Nigeria would take retaliatory measures against South Africa.
She said the National Assembly would make recommendations in this regard.
The National Assembly has condemned the attacks on Africans and is already reviewing the development to come up with its position.
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