President John Mahama of Ghana has reiterated his request for the African Union to confront the rising tide of xenophobic attacks currently plaguing South Africa. While two Ghanaian citizens have formally asked the International Criminal Court to look into these recurring incidents, the South African government has rejected this legal challenge as a mere publicity stunt.
South Africa has historically served as a primary destination for African laborers, but recent weeks have seen widespread unrest directed at foreign workers. Protesters allege that these individuals are depleting local resources and securing jobs at the expense of residents. Within the last two months, approximately 160,000 foreign nationals have fled, and several deaths have been recorded, creating significant friction between Pretoria and its continental neighbors.
Mahama originally proposed an AU discussion on the crisis in May. During recent talks in Accra, he expressed dissatisfaction with the South African government’s response, arguing that authorities have failed to adequately address the scale of the violence or prosecute the individuals allegedly financing the attacks. He warned that this instability poses a genuine threat to the goals of African unity and integration.
Despite these tensions, the Ghanaian president emphasized that his country holds no hostility toward South Africa. Notably, Ghana previously delayed a state visit by President Cyril Ramaphosa following the death of a Ghanaian citizen, although Pretoria maintained that the fatality was unrelated to the broader anti-immigrant protests.
