Julius Ackaah Gabriel Calls for End to Xenophobic Attacks Against Foreign Nationals in South Africa

Accra, Ghana — By Seth Yeboah

Ghanaian commentator Julius Ackaah Gabriel has condemned the recent wave of xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa, urging an immediate end to the violence and calling on South African leaders to speak out.

In a statement, Gabriel said South Africans “must remember that Ghana and several other African countries played pivotal roles in the struggle for South Africa’s independence and the fight against apartheid.”

He described the use of violence and brute force against law-abiding foreign nationals as “unacceptable and contrary to international conventions and the spirit of African unity.”

Gabriel singled out South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, former presidents Thabo Mbeki and Jacob Zuma, noting that they “witnessed the sacrifices made by Ghana and other African nations during the anti-apartheid struggle.” He urged them to publicly condemn the brutal attacks on fellow Africans.

Warning of the consequences of retaliation, Gabriel said, “If Ghanaians and Nigerians were to retaliate with similar attacks against South Africans living in their countries, Africa would cease to be a peaceful continent for all.”

He called for peaceful coexistence across the continent, stressing that “we must learn to coexist peacefully and harmoniously as one African people.”

The statement also directed attention to Ghana and Nigeria’s own governments. Gabriel said the Ghanaian President and his Nigerian counterpart “must also take decisive steps to create enabling environments and economic opportunities that will discourage the exodus of their citizens in search of greener pastures abroad.”

Xenophobic violence targeting African migrants has periodically flared in parts of South Africa, drawing condemnation from across the continent and from the African Union.