By Abdulrahman Aliagan,
The Asylum and Refugee Rights Advocacy Foundation, also known as Asylum and Refugee Rights Advocates (ARRA), has strongly condemned the ongoing xenophobic attacks against African nationals in South Africa, describing the violence as a serious violation of human rights, international law, and the ideals of African unity.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja and signed by the Foundation’s Founder and Executive Director, Dr. Okey Ezugwu, the organization expressed concern over what it called persistent hostility against migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, and foreign-owned businesses in South Africa.
ARRA said the recurring attacks were “reprehensible and dangerously short-sighted,” warning that the continued scapegoating of foreign nationals for South Africa’s economic and social challenges would only deepen regional tensions rather than solve unemployment, inequality, and structural economic problems.
One of the Xenophobic attacks scene in South Africa
According to the Foundation, foreign nationals living in South Africa are contributors to economic activity, innovation, and regional integration, stressing that no country can sustainably resolve domestic economic issues through hostility against fellow Africans.
The organization further noted that South Africans themselves have extensive economic, commercial, and residential interests across the African continent, with many South African companies operating profitably in other African countries while citizens of the country also live and work freely across Africa.
ARRA warned that any normalization of xenophobia within South Africa could trigger reciprocal hostility in other African countries, thereby undermining regional cooperation and weakening the spirit of Pan-African solidarity.
The Foundation also faulted the African Union for what it described as a troubling silence and failure to take decisive action in response to the recurring attacks.
“The continued failure of the continental body to take decisive, visible, and coordinated action sends the wrong signal—that the lives, dignity, and safety of African migrants can be treated as expendable,” the statement read.
ARRA called on the African Union to rise to its responsibility as the custodian of Pan-African ideals by taking firm and coordinated measures to address xenophobic violence across the continent.
The group equally criticized the South African government for what it termed inadequate action against perpetrators of the attacks, arguing that official condemnations alone were insufficient without visible enforcement, arrests, prosecutions, and deterrent measures.
According to the organization, the recurring nature of the attacks suggests a pattern of impunity that continues to embolden perpetrators.
ARRA maintained that it is the primary responsibility of the South African government to guarantee the safety and protection of all persons within its territory, including foreign nationals, asylum seekers, refugees, and immigrants, noting that such obligations are backed by both domestic constitutional provisions and international legal commitments.
The Foundation also raised concerns over the worsening humanitarian condition of migrants and refugees in South Africa amid the unrest, saying many now live in fear and are unable to carry out lawful economic activities or move freely without the risk of harassment and violence.
It added that for asylum seekers and refugees—many of whom had already fled persecution and instability in their home countries—the renewed exposure to violence was deeply distressing and unacceptable.
ARRA further reminded South Africans of the sacrifices made by African countries during the anti-apartheid struggle, particularly the role played by Nigeria through political, financial, and diplomatic support for the liberation movement.
The organization stressed that the legacy of African solidarity that sustained South Africa during the apartheid era must not be replaced with hostility toward fellow Africans.
The Foundation also urged the Nigerian government to adopt more proactive and decisive measures to protect Nigerians living abroad, particularly in South Africa.
It called for intensified diplomatic engagement, stronger protective mechanisms, and clearly articulated contingency plans, including possible evacuation measures where necessary.
ARRA emphasized that the safety and dignity of Nigerian citizens abroad must remain a top national priority.
The organization consequently demanded immediate action by South African authorities to halt xenophobic attacks and prosecute perpetrators, while also calling for stronger intervention by the African Union, enhanced diplomatic engagement among African countries, and comprehensive protection measures for migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.
“Africa must not become a continent where Africans are unsafe in other African countries,” the statement added, warning that the current trajectory threatens not only human lives but also the broader vision of African unity, integration, and shared prosperity.
