Xenophobic Attacks: President Buhari Directs Immediate Evacuation Of Nigerians In South Africa
President Muhammadu Buhari has given instruction for the immediate voluntary evacuation of all Nigerians in South Africa, who are willing to return home.
This is as the president instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs to continue to engage with appropriate Authorities on the concrete measure the South African Government is expected to take.
President Buhari, who gave the instructions while receiving the report of the Special Envoy he sent to South Africa last week, expressed concern that the recurring issue of xenophobia could negatively affect the image and standing of South Africa as one of the leading countries on the continent, if nothing is done to stop it.
The President therefore stressed the need for South African Government to take visible measures to stop violence against citizens of brotherly African nations.
He also expressed his deep concern and thos of Nigerians about the intermittent violence against Nigerians and their property/business interests in South Africa.
President Buhari assured that the Nigerian Government is ready and willing to collaborate with the South African Government to find a lasting solution to the involvement of few Nigerians in criminal activities.
He also assured of his determination to protect the lives and property of the larger groups of other law abiding Nigerians and indeed Africans in general, against all forms of attacks including xenophobia.
The President further assured that the Nigerian Government will guarantee the safety of lives, property and business interests of South Africans in Nigeria.
On his part, President Ramaphosa agreed that the violence was most disconcerting and embarrassing, adding that his government completely rejects such acts, which undermine not only the country’s image but also its relations with brotherly African countries.
President Ramaphosa reaffirmed his stand against criminality and committed to do everything possible to protect the rights of every Nigerian and other foreign nationals in the country.
The Special Envoy, Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, who is the Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), also interfaced with his South African counterpart, where they reviewed the situation of foreign emigrants in general and Nigerians in particular and agreed to work together to find a permanent solution to the root causes of the recurring attacks on Nigerians and their property.
Ambassador Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, was sent by President Buhari as his Special Envoy to South Africa, in the wake of the xenophobic attacks against other Africans including Nigerians by the former apartheid nation to convey a Special Message to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The Special Envoy, who was in Pretoria from Thursday, 5th to Saturday, 7th September 2019.
