THE Ghanaian Government has announced plans to evacuate 300 of its citizens from South Africa following a recent surge in anti-immigration protests and xenophobic incidents.
Ghana’s Foreign Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, disclosed on Tuesday that President John Dramani Mahama had approved the emergency repatriation operation.
“These distressed Ghanaians had earlier complied with the Foreign Ministry’s advisory and registered with our High Commission in Pretoria to be rescued, following the latest wave of xenophobic attacks,” Ablakwa stated via social media. He added that the government remains committed to safeguarding the welfare of Ghanaians both at home and abroad.
The evacuation decision follows weeks of mounting tension, intimidation, and alleged assaults targeting African nationals in South Africa, triggering diplomatic concerns from both Ghana and Nigeria.
Late last month, the Ghanaian government officially summoned South Africa’s High Commissioner in Accra to protest the safety of its citizens.
“South Africans are not xenophobic,” presidential spokesman Vincent Magwenya told reporters. “What you have is pockets of protest, which is permissible within our constitutional framework.”
Magwenya argued instead that other African nations need to address the root causes of mass migration, pointing to regional conflict, instability, and instances of “misgovernment.”
