By Lawrence Odoom
Ghana has formally called on the African Union (AU) to elevate the persistent xenophobic attacks against African nationals in South Africa to the agenda of the bloc’s upcoming Eighth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting, framing it as an urgent continental imperative.
In a letter dated May 6, 2026, Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa petitioned the Chairperson of the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa to address the matter during the meeting slated for June 24–27, 2026, in El Alamein, Egypt.
Accra expressed profound alarm over the recurrence of xenophobic violence in South Africa, citing the attendant loss of life, destruction of livelihoods, and the erosion of safety for African nationals residing in the country.
“It is particularly troubling that manifestations of xenophobia, including violent attacks against fellow Africans, have persisted in recent years,” the letter stated.
The government contended that such attacks strike at the very core of African solidarity and brotherhood — ideals central to the AU’s founding vision and the Pan-African movement.
Ghana further asserted that the violence contravenes the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and directly undermines the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which is predicated on the free movement of people, the reduction of barriers, and the cultivation of a unified African market.
To address the crisis, Ghana has urged the AU to fortify its monitoring mechanisms to ensure member states honor their obligations under the AU Constitutive Act and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
The petition also advocates for the deployment of an independent fact-finding mission to investigate the root causes of xenophobic violence in South Africa and to propose actionable remedies to the continental body.
In addition, Ghana has recommended dialogue and reconciliation initiatives to foster tolerance, inclusion, integration, and a renewed commitment to unity among African peoples.
The letter underscored that despite Africa’s painful legacy of slavery, colonialism, and apartheid, the continent’s future must be grounded in shared dignity, prosperity, and mutual respect.
Invoking the legacy of Ghana’s first President and Pan-Africanist Kwame Nkrumah, the government declared that Africa’s full emancipation and potential can only be realized through unity and by ensuring that “no African is dehumanised on African soil.”