Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, CFR, Nigeria’s Former Minister Of External Affairs, has asked Nigeria to sue South Africa to International Court of Justice over the xenophobic attack on its citizen living in South Africa.
Akinyemi said South African government failed in protecting foreigners living in its country and must be held accountable.
He also urged Nigeria to file a complaint against certain South African officials who had publicly spoken to encourage the attack on Nigerians and other foreign nationals residing and working in South Africa.
Akinyemi said, “Based on: The statement credited to Dr. Grace Naledi Mandisa Pandor, South African Minister of International Relations, that Nigerians were drug dealers; the statement credited to Deputy Police Minister, Bongani Mkongi that they fought for their land and that that land would not be surrendered to immigrants; the statement credited to the South African Defence Minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula that South Africa is an angry nation and that the country could not prevent the xenophobic attacks; various statements credited to South African diplomats blaming the immigrants; and the anti-immigrant acts by the South African Immigration service officials which for all practical purposes amount to holding Nigerian immigrants hostage by refusing to allow them to be evacuated.
“I have come to the conclusion that the Xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other immigrants are acts sponsored or condoned by the South African state in violation of: Article 2, paragraph 2 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; Article 2, paragraph 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; United Nations Convention on the elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination; International Convention on the Protection of Migrant Workers.
“I, therefore, call on Nigeria to sue South Africa before the International Court of Justice for failure in its duty of care and protection of Nigerian citizens resident there.
“I furthermore call on Nigeria to file complaints against specific South African officials at the International Criminal Court for aiding and abetting the xenophobic attacks.”
President of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, has sent special envoys to deliver messages of solidarity to several Heads of State and Governments across Africa.
The special envoys will deliver a message from President Ramaphosa regarding the incidents of violence, which resulted in attacks on foreign nationals and destruction of property in the former apartheid nation.
The team comprising a former minister in the presidency, Mr Jeff Radebe, Ambassador Kingsley Mmabolo and Dr Khulu Mbatha, will visit Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia.
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