Nigeria tells South Africa to curb xenophobic attacks on migrants, questions state response

Nigeria urged South Africa on Monday to do more to prevent xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other African migrants, stating that repeated violence was straining ties and raising questions about whether the government was complicit. These comments were made during talks in Abuja between Nigerian officials and a South African delegation led by Special Envoy and International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola. Nigeria's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Sola Enikanolaiye said President Bola Tinubu had ordered the meeting to address what Abuja described as persistent "Afrophobic attacks" targeting Nigerians and other African migrants in South Africa.

South African vigilantes have attacked foreign nationals and looted foreign-owned shops on numerous occasions in the last few months. At least four people have been killed, and anti-immigrant protesters called for undocumented migrants to leave last month, marching in several South African cities. At least 1,490 Nigerians have been evacuated from South Africa since the latest outbreak of xenophobic violence, according to Nigerian officials. Enikanolaiye cited outbreaks of anti-migrant violence dating to 1995 and said at least 98 Nigerians had been killed in xenophobic attacks since 2022. He added that not only suspected criminals have been attacked but also nationals legally living in South Africa.