Two Ghanaian nationals have petitioned the International Criminal Court to open a preliminary investigation into attacks against foreign nationals in South Africa, which they said could constitute crimes against humanity, Reuters reported on Tuesday.
According to Reuters, the petition was submitted to the court on July 15, alleges a “pattern of widespread and systematic attacks” against migrants in South Africa and accuses President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government of failing to prevent or punish those crimes, including murder.
The petition was reportedly filed by New Patriotic Party’s Palgrave Boakye-Danquah and Emmanuel Kotin, a counter-terrorism and security analyst.
“For years, African brothers and sisters have been killed, beaten, and driven from their homes in South Africa. While we commend individuals in South Africa who have condemned these acts, the pattern, scale, and recurrence of the violence raise serious questions about the failure of state authorities to prevent, investigate, and punish these crimes,” the petitioners were quoted as saying.
This development comes amid growing tensions in diplomatic relations between Ghana and South Africa.
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Earlier this week, ECOWAS backed Ghana’s request for the issue of xenophobic attacks in South Africa to be placed on the agenda of the next African Union (AU) Summit.
“Ghana is deeply concerned about the recent incidents of xenophobic attacks against our citizens in South Africa during which some Africans, including Ghanaians and Nigerian citizens, have lost their lives while many other African nationals have experienced fear, intimidation and uncertainty,” President John Mahama said.