The government of Ghana says it has received the body of one of two Ghanaian nationals who lost their lives during recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa, with efforts still underway to repatriate the remains of the second victim.

Ghana receives body of a citizen killed in Xenophobic attacks in South Africa

Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, disclosed this while briefing journalists at the Kotoka International Airport on Monday, where he joined officials from the ministry and security agencies to receive a group of Ghanaians evacuated from South Africa.

One thousand more Ghanaian migrant workers started returning on Sunday and Monday from South Africa, where there have been violent protests against migrants, the government said. Ghanaian authorities have already brought 926 people out of South Africa and have made outspoken criticism of the deadly events in the continent’s major economy.

The foreign ministry said late Saturday that special flights bringing the migrant workers back would start arriving on Sunday and Monday. It said this was the “final phase” of Ghana’s evacuation of nationals.

Ghana’s President John Mahama has called on the African Union to put the “xenophobic attacks” in South Africa on its agenda accusing the Pretoria government of not doing enough to stop them.

Nigeria calls for action

Meanwhile, Nigeria urged South Africa on Monday to do more to prevent xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other African migrants, saying repeated violence was straining ties and raising questions about whether the government was complicit.

The comments came 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.

At least 1,490 Nigerians have been evacuated from South Africa since the latest outbreak of xenophobic violence, Nigerian officials said.

Sanctions against South Africa

More than 160,000 people from countries including Mozambique, Nigeria and Zimbabwe have left South Africa, according to an AFP tally of official figures, at least 54,000 of whom were deported. At least four people have been killed.

A travel advisor and network engineer, Nana Kofi Baffour, has called on the African Union (AU) to impose sanctions on South Africa over what he described as persistent xenophobic attacks against other African nationals.

Speaking in an interview with The Ghanaian Times on Tuesday, Nana Baffour, a Ghanaian-Belgian citizen, said it was time the AU held member states accountable for actions against fellow Africans.

Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama and his Nigerian counterpart, Bola Tinubu, have successfully pressed for the African Union (AU) to formally consider South Africa’s ongoing xenophobic violence at its next summit, amid mounting concern over attacks on foreign nationals.

Meanwhile, Ghana has submitted to the International Criminal Court a complaint against South Africa for what it described as “widespread and systematic” attacks against African migrants and complained that President Ramaphosa’s government was failing to act.