The African Union (AU) has backed a broader discussion on migration, a South African government official said on Thursday, after Ghana made a proposal to place xenophobic violence in South Africa on the agenda of an upcoming AU meeting.
Ghana has been a prominent critic of anti-immigrant protests and xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
‘Victory for Pretoria’
Clayson Monyela, a South African foreign affairs official, said on X that Pretoria had defeated an attempt to “single out & isolate” the country.
“The AU will discuss the migration issue broadly & look at the ‘Pull & Push’ factors,” Monyela wrote, referring to conditions that drive people to leave their countries and those that draw them elsewhere.
AU to discuss migration broadly
Over the past few months anti-migrant protests have taken place in South Africa.
Ghana repatriated hundreds of its citizens ahead of a June 30 deadline set by a South African anti-migrant movement for undocumented foreigners to leave.
Local media reported that the AU had rejected a proposal from Ghana that would have meant xenophobic violence in South Africa was discussed as a stand-alone agenda item at the body’s mid-year coordination meeting in October.
Neither South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation nor a spokesperson for the Ghanaian government had any immediate comment.
- The African Union (AU) supports a broad discussion on migration rather than isolating xenophobic violence in South Africa.
- Ghana proposed making xenophobic attacks in South Africa a standalone agenda item at the AU's upcoming meeting.
- South Africa opposed the proposal, aiming to avoid being singled out and prefers addressing migration's "push and pull" factors.
- Ghana has been a vocal critic of South Africa's anti-immigrant protests and repatriated hundreds of citizens ahead of a June 30 deadline.
- The AU rejected Ghana's proposal for the mid-year coordination meeting, choosing instead to address migration issues more generally.
Ghana has been a prominent critic of anti-immigrant protests and xenophobic attacks in
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Over the past few months anti-migrant protests have taken place in
Ghana repatriated hundreds of its citizens ahead of a June 30 deadline set by a
Local media reported that the AU had rejected a proposal from Ghana that would have meant xenophobic violence in
