Ghana Delays Evacuation of 800 Citizens from South Africa as Xenophobic Violence Spreads Across the Continent

Ghana's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration confirmed today that the country has postponed its scheduled evacuation of more than 800 Ghanaian citizens from South Africa, where xenophobic violence targeting foreign nationals has intensified in recent weeks. The first batch of 300 vulnerable individuals had been scheduled to leave on May 21, 2026.

The postponement stems from what officials describe as "mandatory passenger screening processes, flight clearance requirements, and extensive coordination between authorities in both Ghana and South Africa"—not a lack of political will. Moving hundreds of individuals across borders during a crisis requires meticulous synchronization between civil aviation authorities and immigration bureaus, the ministry explained.

A continental diplomatic crisis

The unfolding violence has rapidly escalated into a broader African diplomatic row. Ghana has officially petitioned the African Union to formally review the crisis, describing the recurrent hostility as a severe risk to continental stability and regional integration. Foreign Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa summoned South Africa's acting envoy in Accra to lodge a formal protest following verified videos showing targeted harassment of Ghanaians, including one viral clip of a man being told to "fix his country."

Nigeria has confirmed that over 130 of its citizens have formally requested immediate evacuation. However, unlike Ghana's government-funded operation, Nigerian officials have said those seeking repatriation must have the financial resources to fund their own return. The governments of Kenya, Malawi, Lesotho, and Zimbabwe have all issued urgent safety directives advising their nationals inside South Africa to stay indoors.

According to Human Rights Watch, vigilante groups including March and March and Operation Dudula organized demonstrations in Pretoria, Johannesburg, and Durban in April and May 2026, with "violent and sometimes fatal results." On May 3, five Ethiopian migrants were killed in Johannesburg, three of whom were shot dead inside a McDonald's restaurant, according to Wikipedia's documentation of the attacks.

What happened

South African International Relations Minister Ronald Lamola has initiated direct talks with affected African capitals, publicly emphasizing Pretoria's commitment to Pan-Africanism while pushing back against unverified social media reports of mass casualties. The South African government dismissed social media claims alleging that Ghanaian and Nigerian nationals had been killed during recent protests, saying there is currently no credible evidence to support the allegations.

President Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the violence, stating that "the recent violent protests and criminal acts directed at foreign nationals in parts of our country do not represent the views of South Africa's people nor reflect our government's policy."

Yet advocacy groups including the Equal Education Law Centre, SECTION27, and Kopanang Africa Against Xenophobia have accused March and March and Operation Dudula of "exploiting socio-economic frustrations to fuel organised xenophobic violence." South Africa's unemployment rate has exceeded 43 percent, and vigilante groups have scapegoated foreign nationals as the cause of the country's economic woes, poor service delivery, and high crime rates—despite studies that disprove these claims, according to Human Rights Watch.

Nigerian Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu questioned whether the term "xenophobia" accurately captures the nature of the violence, noting that the hostility appears selectively targeted at fellow Africans rather than all foreigners. "What is worrisome is that the demand that all foreigners leave South Africa appears to be targeted only towards black Africans, which makes one wonder whether what is happening should not be more accurately defined as 'Afriphobia' rather than xenophobia," she said.

What comes next

Ghana's High Commission in Pretoria is processing paperwork to clear the backlog of registered evacuees. While more than 800 citizens have sought refuge, state officials have specified that the pending transit timeline explicitly targets an initial batch of 300 highly vulnerable individuals for the first flight, which is now expected "within a few days."

The African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights has called on South Africa to investigate violence against foreign nationals, ensure those responsible are held accountable, and guarantee that affected migrants have access to justice and protection. UN Secretary General António Guterres expressed concerns over the reported xenophobic harassment, discrimination, and attacks on April 27.

Senior officials from Accra and Pretoria remain in constant communication to prevent an escalation of bilateral tension. For African diaspora communities in South Africa—Ghanaians, Nigerians, Kenyans, Ethiopians, Zimbabweans, and others—the crisis represents the latest chapter in a long-standing pattern of xenophobic violence that has claimed hundreds of lives since 2008.

Reporting drawn from GBC Ghana Online, Premium Times Nigeria, Inside Politic South Africa, Human Rights Watch, Voice of Nigeria.