The Government of Ghana has approved the immediate evacuation of 300 of its citizens from South Africa following a resurgence of xenophobic violence targeting foreign nationals in parts of the country.
Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, announced the development in a statement on Tuesday, revealing that President John Mahama had granted approval for the evacuation.
According to Ablakwa, the affected Ghanaians had earlier responded to an advisory issued by the Foreign Ministry and registered with Ghana’s High Commission in Pretoria to seek evacuation support due to rising security concerns.
“His Excellency John Mahama has granted presidential approval for the immediate evacuation of 300 Ghanaians in South Africa,” the minister said.
He explained that the citizens slated for evacuation were among those who sought assistance after renewed attacks reportedly targeted foreign nationals in some South African communities.
Ablakwa reaffirmed the Ghanaian government’s commitment to protecting its citizens at home and abroad.
“The Government of Ghana shall continue to safeguard the welfare of all Ghanaians home and abroad,” he stated.
The evacuation plan comes amid renewed concerns over recurring xenophobic attacks in South Africa, where foreign nationals from countries including Ghana and Nigeria have in previous years experienced violence, intimidation, and destruction of businesses.
Earlier this month, Ghana formally petitioned the African Union to include xenophobic attacks against African nationals in South Africa on the agenda of its Eighth Mid-Year Coordination Meeting scheduled for June 24 to 27, 2026, in El Alamein.
In a diplomatic letter dated May 6, 2026, addressed to the Chairperson of the AU Commission in Addis Ababa, Ablakwa expressed concern over the repeated attacks, which he said had led to deaths, destruction of investments, and increased insecurity for African migrants in South Africa.
“The persistent attacks against fellow Africans undermine the principles of African solidarity and continental unity,” the minister said in the letter.
He also noted that the continued violence was troubling, given the support many African countries extended to South Africa during the anti-apartheid struggle and the nation’s transition to democracy.
While recognising South Africa’s sovereignty and responsibility to protect residents within its borders, Ghana maintained that attacks targeting African nationals threaten the ideals of Pan-Africanism and regional cooperation promoted by the AU.
The Ghanaian government further argued that such incidents violate the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and could undermine the goals of the African Continental Free Trade Area aimed at enhancing economic integration and free movement across the continent.
