The Government of Ghana has announced plans to evacuate 300 citizens from South Africa following concerns about xenophobic attacks on black Africans.
On Tuesday, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samule Okudgeto Ablakwa, said President John Mahama had granted approval for the immediate evacuation of Ghanaians living in South Africa.
“These distressed Ghanaians had earlier complied with the Foreign Ministry’s advisory and registered with our High Commission in Pretoria to be rescued following the latest wave of xenophobic attacks,” Ablakwa said.
Ghana is not the only African country considering moving its citizens out of South Africa over series of recent xenophobic incidents. Nigeria’s government last week said 130 citizens had registered to return home under a “voluntary repatriation” programme.
Renewed xenophobic sentiments since last month
Since at least last month, anti-immigrant tensions in South Africa have increased, amid disturbing videos of South African vigilante groups attacking Ghanaians and other foreigners of African descent.
These sentiments are not new in South Africa. For almost two decades, South Africa has suffered repeated bouts of xenophobic violence – from deadly riots in 2008 to the rise of Operation Dudula.
Following renewed tensions and anti-immigrant protests in 2026, Ghana last week petitioned the African Union to place the issue of xenophobic attacks against African nationals in South Africa on the agenda of the Eighth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting.
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The South African government, meanwhile, has denied that anyone had been attacked. Instead, the government said widely circulated videos of attacks on immigrants were fake.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said on Monday that the recent “protests and criminal acts directed at foreign nationals” did not reflect government policy.