Saturday, 20th April 2024
To guardian.ng
Search
News  

South Africa, Nigeria trade barbs over attacks on migrants

The South African government reacted angrily Sunday to Nigeria's decision to recall its ambassador from Pretoria over a wave of mob attacks on African migrants that killed at least seven people.
South africa- image source international.ucla.edu

South africa- image source international.ucla.edu

The South African government reacted angrily Sunday to Nigeria’s decision to recall its ambassador from Pretoria over a wave of mob attacks on African migrants that killed at least seven people.

“We are not sure which actions or behaviour of the South African Government the Nigerian Government is protesting,” the South African foreign ministry said in a statement.

“If this action is based on the incidents of attacks on foreign nationals in some parts of our country, it would be curious for a sisterly country to want to exploit such a painful episode for whatever agenda,” the ministry said, lamenting Nigeria’s “unfortunate and regrettable step.”

Taking aim at its rival for economic and political dominance in Africa, Pretoria said it had held off blaming Nigeria’s government when 84 South Africans were killed in the collapse of a church building in Lagos last year.

South Africa had also refrained from blaming Nigerian authorities for the “more than nine months delay” in the repatriation of the bodies “or for the fact that when these bodies eventually returned, they were in a state that they could not be touched or viewed as required by our burial practice.”

The testy statement from Pretoria comes a day after Nigeria announced it was recalling its ambassador in Pretoria for consultations over “the on-going xenophobia” in the country.

South African President Jacob Zuma deployed troops last week to quell the violence in Johannesburg and the port city of Durban, which forced thousands of people from their homes over the past few weeks.

No deadly attacks have been reported in the past week.

– ‘Fear and uncertainty’ –

The Nigerian foreign ministry said the attacks by mobs accusing foreigners of stealing their jobs had “created fear and uncertainty” among African migrants in “the former apartheid enclave.”

On Wednesday, the country’s junior foreign minister Musiliu Obanikoro summoned South Africa’s High Commissioner in Abuja to demand Pretoria take “concrete steps to quell the unrest”.

Obanikoro also demanded South Africa compensate the victims of the attacks.

Hundreds of Zimbabweans, Malawians and Mozambicans have been repatriated by their governments over the unrest, which has drawn fierce criticism of South Africans from Africans in other parts of the continent.

In its statement Sunday, South Africa’s foreign ministry hit back, reminding Nigeria of its own security shortcomings, as laid bare by the Boko Haram insurgency.

“We hope that the more than 200 girls kidnapped by Boko Haram will someday be reunited with their families,” South Africa said referring to a group of students kidnapped in the northern Nigerian town of Chibok that have been missing for over a year.

12 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    These South African officials chose to deploy tasteless words!

  • Author’s gravatar
  • Author’s gravatar

    Nigeria should also recall all the Nigerian drug dealers and and other Nigerian thugs that are in South Africa.

    • Author’s gravatar

      If the Nigerian drug dealers still thrives yonder there ,it is because the likes of Johan Le Roux ( French) still patronizes them

    • Author’s gravatar

      All Nigerian drug dealers and thugs in South Africa should be prosecuted according to the laws of South Africa, if indeed there are any. Just so you know Nigeria is not known as sources for those drugs. Some Nigerians would rather steal oil and ship to you, and we would soon solve that. Having said that, are you suggesting Nigeria colonize South Africa and enforce the laws there?

  • Author’s gravatar

    Nigeria government did great by it’s actions and words, south africa has their most biggest companies in nigeria and no one is disturbing them. I believe that south africa and its citizens will learn from this xenophobia attack. I plead to other african countries the same as nigeria…. south african foreign minister refreign to incident of the building collapse in nigeria last year, prophet TB joshua has shown his deep condolence to the affected fa

  • Author’s gravatar

    With muslims well in control of Nigeria now, and even the muslim islamic jihad criminal gang Bokoharam/isis, is threatening south africa. One must wonder if muslims have something to do with the reaction of south africans against these somalians and bangledeshi, and Nigerians whom are displaced due to the islamic jihad in the first place. It is islamic jihad, a religious practise that is an obligation for all muslims to partake in, whether violent, stealth or migration jihad, on the kuffars and the apostates, that is creating the mass displacement and traumatising of millions of africans. What right does Nigeria have to critisise south africa when they cannot stamp out the muslim criminal gangs who are murdering christians in Nigeria and elsewhere too.

    • Author’s gravatar

      My friend if you have nothing to write about, pls keep your energy to your self, do you remember Rwanda 1994,was it Islamic Jihad that drove tens of thousands refugees into DRC. Congo Brazzaville 1997 where tens of thousands lost their lives, what of repeated conflict in the Central Africa Rep., Liberia, Sierra Leone, were all these conflicts caused by Islamic Jihads …………..was it not the Harbingers the colonialist that supplies Boko Haram arms, or are you not aware of the 12 French IT brain experts arrested by the Cameroonian army, at the Nig/Cameroon boarder .

    • Author’s gravatar

      You continue to peddle hatred and ignorance. Nigeria is inhabited by Nigerians – The largest Muslim Population in Africa and yes, the largest Christian population in Africa. Nigeria is in safe hands, soon, God willing. If you know the history of Nigeria and it’s leadership you’d appreciate that. We the people have just choosen who we want to lead us, freely, fairly and credibly. Your veiled attack on a muslims is really an attack on Nigerians – all of us. Your picking on a large section of the human race based on their belief exposes your hatred and your need for self-knowledge. You did not create yourself, you’d live and die, you could die today or tomorrow or 50 years time or 100 years time, you’d die and go back to your maker. get with it, If your maker have wanted he would make all his creations worship him as Muslims or Christians or however he wishes – no one would have a choice in it. Just as you do not have a choice even in being here in the first place. Realize this and know that Nigeria and the whole world in the final analysis revert to the creator who owns all. And know that hatred consumes the hater. Safe yourself!

  • Author’s gravatar

    Who is this idiot that goes by the name Johan Le Roux? Does he knows where he comes From?

  • Author’s gravatar

    Over-reacting? Nigerians eekes out-a-living through small businesses in South Africa and South Africans attack them and close down the businesses, South African companies makes billions from Nigerians in Nigeria and Nigerians allow that…South Africa better fix this stupid underbelly of the conduct in their homeland through education and call to other all raving lunatic in their midst wether they be king or whatever or else…If anyone should walk with his head held high in South Africa it is Nigerians – we sacrificed to free south Africa and yes, we recognize the reciprocity of a brotherly relationship, however when even a member of the family goes crazy, everyone should work together to restrain him/her and administer the medicine that is needed. Rather than point fingers, the leadership of South Africa should address the rot in their system through education and creating pathway for the poor in their society rather than tacitly scapegoat foreigners to the point of criminality. South Africa should enforce their laws.

  • Author’s gravatar

    We thank GOD for the power of the social media and the power of the international community. If not for these two powers, more and more hundreds of African immigrants would have been killed in South Africa by now. They are killed either by stoning, stabbing, burning- alive or simply shot by mainly South African blacks. The local media don’t report many of them if avoidable. It is the government policy.

    The south African government simply put it as common criminal action by some local criminals but if you ever experience a single scene of these nation-wide horrific xenophobia attacks, you can only conclude that almost all south African blacks are the criminal elements. You see them in their tens, hundreds or even thousands attacking African foreigners living with them for years in their townships. Below are some horrific videos just to prove this point because seeing, they say, is believing. I personally do not support dealing with South African outside South African in the same manner because paying evil with evil can only make evil thrive more and more.

    The Almighty GOD is in control of the situation. FORGIVE SOUTH AFRICANS PLEASE. GOD BLESS AFRICA!!!

    This video is an example of many unreported BURNING ALIVE of African foreigners in South Africa:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8FRxg7UWI5mRzdyZUtJbVNnNmM/view?usp=sharing

    This video is an example of many unreported STONING TO DEATH of African foreigners in South Africa:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8FRxg7UWI5mZEVSdDFiQkdhN3c/view?usp=sharing

    This video is an example of many unreported STONING TO DEATH FLOGGING WITH IRON RODS of African foreigners in South Africa:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8FRxg7UWI5mQ3RYb19XRkJtdm8/view?usp=sharing

    This PDF DOCUMENT is an example of many unreported STABBING TO DEATH of African foreigners in South Africa:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8FRxg7UWI5mUkJmMGg1S3hZSjA/view?usp=sharing

    This video is an example of many unreported POLICE ARRESTING A NIGERIAN African foreigners in South Africa:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8FRxg7UWI5mZlVDTnRfYXhlS00/view?usp=sharing

    This video is an example of many unreported POLICE ARRESTING (dragging along the street before been killed at the police station)

    an African foreigners in South Africa:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8FRxg7UWI5mdThSV0ZuYTZ5dUk/view?usp=sharing

    VERSION2

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8FRxg7UWI5mRG9QVnB2WkcwME0/view?usp=sharing

    This video is an example of A DOCUMENTARY OF MANY HORRIFIC XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS OF African foreigners in South Africa:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8FRxg7UWI5mNDFUR2ZKQWR4VnM/view?usp=sharing

    This video is an example of A COMMENTARY OF MANY HORRIFIC XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS OF African foreigners in South Africa:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8FRxg7UWI5mbzhJRl9TbzNCV00/view?usp=sharing

    This video is an example of the so called CRIMINAL ELEMETS MOBILISING FOR A XENOPHOBIC ATTACKS OF African foreigners in South Africa:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8FRxg7UWI5mZEZQU0tUcDZKR3M/view?usp=sharing

    EVER SINCE 2008 XENOPHOBIA ATTACKS ON AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS IN SOUTH AFRICA, IT HAS BEEN GOING ON BUT NOT ON A NATIONAL SCALE LIKE THIS OF 2015

    This video is an example of police brutality on African foreigners in South Africa:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8FRxg7UWI5ma242QUx4UXRwdXc/view?usp=sharing

    This video is another example of police SUPERVISING LOCALS AS THEY LOOT a foreigners in South Africa. THE POLICE ALSO JOINED TO LOOT:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8FRxg7UWI5mQ0VFSWdXdm1uQU0/view?usp=sharing

    The Almighty GOD is in control of the situation. FORGIVE SOUTH AFRICANS PLEASE. DO NOT PAY EVIL WITH EVIL. GOD BLESS AFRICA!!!