Xenophobia: Africa Consulate Shut Down In Lagos

Nigeria has complained to South Africa about a wave of attacks targetingforeigners and called on Pretoria to punish the culprits and compensate the victims, the foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

Junior foreign minister Musiliu Obanikoro summoned South Africa’s High Commissioner Lulu Mnguni “to register Nigeria’s protest over the ongoing xenophobic attacks against fellow Africans in South Africa”.

“In the meeting, ambassador Obanikoro condemned the attacks on foreigners in South Africa, expressing concern on the fate of Nigerians and indeed of other nationals who are migrants in the country,” said a statement from his office.

South Africa needed to take “concrete steps to quell the unrest and bring the culprits involved to book” to act as a deterrent and prevent further violence, the statement added.

“He also called on the South African authorities to compensate the victims of these attacks,” the ministry said.

Relating protests by Nigerians against attacks on foreigners in South Africa, the country on Wednesday announced the closure of its consulate in Lagos. The country’s Consul-General in Nigeria, Sam Monaisa, said this in a statement to the South African Business Forum.

According to him, the closure would remain in force until Thursday.

Although the situation in Durban has calmed down, he was concerned about the Nigerians that were being repatriated.

Monaisa accused Nigerians of “using the social media to blow an already tensed situation in South Africa out of proportion and stoking emotions.”

This was why Nigerians believed that their compatriots were being killed daily in South Africa, he said.

He warned members of SABF, to stay alert and not move around unnecessarily.

South African business concerns and citizens became targets of threats and acts of retaliation whenever xenophobic attacks occurred in South Africa, he cautioned.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s cabinet has warned that companies operating in the rest of Africa might be targeted, just as Johannesburg-based Sasol Ltd. announced it was repatriating South African employees working on projects in Mozambique for their own safety.