Ghana and Nigeria have urged the African Union (AU) to address what they describe as “Afrophobia” in SA, condemning ongoing protests against undocumented foreign nationals and calling for coordinated action to protect migrants.
The two countries’ foreign ministers recently met to discuss the unrest, which has reportedly contributed to the departure of thousands of migrants from SA.
Political Scientist and Conflict Resolution Analyst David Matsanga warned against isolating SA, arguing that African countries should seek consensus rather than condemnation. “We should not condemn South Africa. Instead, Ghana, Nigeria and other countries, Uganda, Kenya, Cameroon, Mozambique and Malawi, should sit down as Africans instead of going for other retributive justice against SA,” Matsanga said.
Matsanga said SA continues to face unresolved socioeconomic challenges dating back to the post-apartheid era and argued that these issues should be understood within a broader continental context. “I am not in favour of the policy of total condemnation of the SA government,” Matsanga said.
Addressing concerns about the impact on diplomatic relations, Matsanga criticised the public exchanges between officials from SA and Ghana, urging leaders to avoid escalating tensions through social media. “The SA Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Ghanaian Foreign Minister of Foreign Affairs should stop social media exchanges that could escalate into difficulties,” Matsanga said.
Matsanga said African countries should focus on constructive engagement and diplomacy rather than legal or political confrontation. “How do we find a middle ground? How do we find a talking point so that SA and Ghana and other countries affected can sit down at the table to avoid isolation and condemnation that could escalate the troubles that we see in SA?” Matsanga asked.
According to Matsanga, Africa should be cautious about external actors exploiting divisions on the continent. “African countries, listen to me. You don’t start condemning your brother in SA. Let’s help them. This has happened by a few isolated goons. Let’s help SA to sort the mess on the international scene,” Matsanga said.
On the role of the AU, Matsanga said the continent needs time to lower tensions before leaders engage in further discussions. “People are still angered. People are angered about their nationals being killed, mistreated, beaten up and their properties taken,” Matsanga said.
However, Matsanga argued that further isolation would not resolve the crisis. “Two mistakes don’t make a good thing at all. We can’t do them twice,” Matsanga said.
Looking beyond the immediate dispute, Matsanga said migration is a continent-wide challenge driven by economic disparities and historical factors. “Africa needs to go back to the drawing table,” Matsanga said.
Drawing comparisons with China’s economic transformation, Matsanga argued that African countries should focus on development, job creation and economic opportunities to reduce migration pressures. “All these migration issues will keep on coming. It’s not only SA. Every country has got rules,” Matsanga said.
Matsanga concluded that African leaders should work collectively to address the root causes of migration while preserving continental unity. “We must speak as Africans, clean this continent and bring it to sanity so that the generation we are leaving behind can look after a continent that is worth something,” Matsanga said.
–ChannelAfrica–
