The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has formally endorsed Ghana’s petition to the African Union (AU), calling for the recent wave of xenophobic attacks in South Africa to be addressed at a continental level.
Speaking at the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama said the attacks were a matter of concern not only for Ghana and Nigeria, but for the African continent as a whole.
“But permit me also, after talking about this compact, to address a matter of immediate concern to Ghana, Nigeria and, indeed, the whole of our continent,” Mahama said.
“Ghana is deeply concerned about the recent incidents of xenophobic attacks against our citizens in South Africa, during which some Africans, including Ghanaian and Nigerian citizens, have lost their lives, while many other African nationals have experienced fear, intimidation and uncertainty.”
Mahama welcomed ECOWAS’ collective support for Ghana’s diplomatic initiative.
“Ghana welcomes the decision of the Authority of Heads of State of ECOWAS to fully endorse and support Ghana’s petition at the African Union for the matter to be addressed at the next AU Mid-Year Summit,” he said.
The endorsement means the 12-member regional bloc will collectively support Ghana’s request for xenophobic violence against African migrants in South Africa to be placed before African leaders at the upcoming AU Mid-Year Summit.
Mahama urged African leaders to uphold the spirit of continental solidarity that helped secure the liberation of many African nations.
“African liberation was achieved through solidarity across our borders. We must never permit that proud legacy to be weakened by intolerance by a small group of people,” he said.
Following the ECOWAS endorsement, South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) reaffirmed the government’s commitment to Pan-African solidarity, the rule of law and dialogue on migration. In a statement issued on Thursday, DIRCO said South Africa “categorically reject[s] xenophobia, racism, homophobia, and intolerance and discrimination in all their manifestations”, adding that upholding the dignity of every person within the country’s borders is “both a constitutional imperative and a moral duty”.
The department said those responsible for violence or other unlawful acts would be held accountable through South Africa’s judicial system.
DIRCO said International Relations and Cooperation Minister Ronald Lamola welcomed the opportunity for migration to be discussed at the African Union Heads of State Summit, arguing that the continent should address the root causes of irregular migration.
The department also rejected a separate petition lodged by two Ghanaian civilians at the International Criminal Court (ICC), saying it did not meet the court’s jurisdictional requirements and maintaining that South Africa’s domestic legal framework, including the Prevention and Combating of Hate Crimes and Hate Speech Act, provides the necessary mechanisms to prosecute offences relating to racism, xenophobia and related intolerance.
