Ghana’s President John Mahama has intensified calls for the African Union (AU) to take decisive action over escalating anti-migrant violence in South Africa, warning that the crisis poses a serious threat to African unity and continental integration.
Speaking on Thursday, Mahama said the issue should be formally debated at the AU’s next summit, arguing that the bloc must work collectively with South Africa to find a lasting solution.
South Africa has experienced weeks of unrest targeting both documented and undocumented migrants, with protesters accusing foreign nationals of taking jobs and placing pressure on public resources. The violence has reportedly forced more than 160,000 foreign nationals to leave the country over the past two months, while several people have lost their lives, straining Pretoria’s relations with other African nations.
Mahama noted that Ghana first requested an AU discussion on the crisis in May and said AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf had acknowledged the urgency of placing the matter on the summit agenda.
According to the Ghanaian leader, a formal AU debate would allow South Africa to present its position while enabling member states to develop a coordinated continental response.
On the sidelines of an AU meeting in Accra on Wednesday, Mahama expressed concern that South African authorities had not responded to the scale of the crisis as expected. He also alleged that individuals financing the attacks were known but had not been stopped.
He warned that continued violence against migrants could undermine decades of efforts to strengthen African solidarity, free movement and regional cooperation.
Despite his criticism, Mahama stressed that Ghana harbours no hostility toward South Africa, describing his appeal as an effort to preserve unity across the continent.
The diplomatic tensions have also affected bilateral relations. Earlier this month, Ghana postponed a planned visit by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa after a Ghanaian citizen was killed in South Africa, although South African officials said the incident was unrelated to the anti-migrant unrest.
Meanwhile, two Ghanaian citizens have petitioned the International Criminal Court to investigate what they described as repeated xenophobic attacks in South Africa. Pretoria has dismissed the move as opportunistic.
