Ghana Pushes AU To Address Xenophobic Attacks In South Africa
Ghana’s campaign for a coordinated continental response to xenophobic attacks against African nationals in South Africa is expected to receive further attention at the next African Union (AU) Summit scheduled for January 2027.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa said Ghana had formally petitioned the Chairperson of the African Union Commission on May 6, 2026, to place the issue of xenophobic attacks against African nationals in South Africa on the AU agenda.
According to Mr Ablakwa, the petition drew attention to recurring deaths, attacks on African migrants, destruction of businesses and the potential threat such incidents pose to African unity, free movement and continental integration.
Although the AU Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, where the matter was expected to be considered, was postponed, Ghana maintained its petition secured the unanimous endorsement of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government to pursue the issue at the continental level.
Mr Ablakwa said the AU Commission had formally responded to Ghana and indicated that the matter would be tabled for deliberations at the next AU Summit in January 2027.
President John Dramani Mahama also raised the issue with AU Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf during the latter’s visit to Accra on July 22, 2026.
Mr Ablakwa said Ghana’s position was that xenophobic attacks against African nationals required collective action by African countries rather than silence.
“Ghana believes that the best way to address this matter is not to look away and pretend nothing serious is happening, but to bring it into the open and have an honest discussion on this concern and how best to address it, including the root causes of this xenophobic violence,” he said.
The latest diplomatic initiative follows renewed reports of xenophobic attacks against African nationals in South Africa from April 2026.
In response, the Ghanaian government evacuated 1,964 nationals from South Africa between May 27 and September 4, at a reported cost of GH¢49.72 million.
Beyond the South African situation, the government has announced plans to establish a Ghanaian Diaspora Consular Fund to provide emergency assistance to Ghanaians facing distress or crisis situations abroad.
Mr Ablakwa said the proposed fund would serve as a dedicated emergency-response mechanism to enable government to mobilise resources quickly when Ghanaian nationals require assistance overseas.
He said the need for such a mechanism had become increasingly apparent, noting that 4,972 Ghanaians had been repatriated from various countries since 2025.
The figure comprises 3,807 nationals repatriated from Libya, 440 from Côte d’Ivoire, 246 from Nigeria, 244 from Cambodia, 201 from Algeria, 18 from Kuwait, eight from Sierra Leone, five from Mauritius, two from Morocco and one from Iraq.
“I wish to announce that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will soon launch a Ghanaian Diaspora Consular Fund which will serve as an emergency response funding mechanism to swiftly take care of Ghanaians in distress and during crisis situations anywhere in the world,” Mr Ablakwa said.
he Foreign Affairs Ministry has also intensified warnings to Ghanaians, particularly young people, about illegal recruitment agencies and human trafficking networks that promise overseas employment but may expose victims to dangerous conditions.
Mr Ablakwa further disclosed that 62 Ghanaians had lost their lives in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, while 15 others remained missing.
He said two Ghanaian nationals were also currently being held by Ukrainian authorities as prisoners of war.
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