Ghana In Talks With South Africa Over Xenophobia Attacks
Ghana has initiated urgent diplomatic engagement with South Africa after videos appearing to show xenophobic attacks on Ghanaian nationals began circulating widely online, prompting swift intervention from Accra.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa confirmed that he personally reached out to his South African counterpart, Ronald Lamola, to address the footage and coordinate a response.
Ablakwa said the call was prompted directly by the disturbing scenes spreading across social media.
The South African Foreign Minister, he said, expressed empathy with the victims and committed to full-scale investigations into the incidents shown in the videos.
South African authorities are also expected to brief African ambassadors stationed in Pretoria as part of broader diplomatic efforts to reassure affected countries and prevent further escalation.
Ghana’s High Commission in South Africa has simultaneously stepped up efforts to identify and support Ghanaian nationals caught up in the situation, working in close coordination with the Foreign Ministry in Accra.
Ablakwa confirmed that the main individual featured in the viral footage had been located and was receiving consular assistance from Ghanaian officials, adding that the person was in good health.
He also confirmed that no Ghanaian lives had been lost and urged the public to remain calm.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to citizen protection, the minister said the Mahama administration remained uncompromising on the welfare of Ghanaians both at home and abroad.
Despite the tension, Ablakwa appealed for Pan-African solidarity, cautioning against allowing the actions of a fringe few to drive a wedge between African nations.
The incident is the latest in a long pattern of xenophobic flare-ups in South Africa, where foreign nationals have repeatedly been targeted over the years, regularly drawing diplomatic condemnation and calls for structural reform from across the continent.