Xenophobia Attacks: Group Calls For UN, AU Intervention

The African Youth Growth Foundation (AYGF) has called on the United Nations, the African Union and other world leaders to intervene, as a matter of urgency, in the heinous crime perpetrated by the South African against their African counterparts.

The group also condemned the recurrent xenophobic attacks by South Africans on Nigerians and other African nationals living in the country, describing it as inhuman and complete wickedness against humanity.

A statement signed by the communication officer of the group, Onilogbo Bolanle, which was made available to LEADERSHIP in Abuja yesterday, frowned that South Africans have cultivated the habit of attacking their fellow Africans on the streets, workplaces and homes, looting and destroying businesses, as well as undermining the safety and protection of migrants and their families.

Bolanle noted that African citizens, like every other global citizen, have the rights to legally migrate, reside and live in any part of the world as guaranteed by the United Nations through the 1948 universal declaration of human rights and the international convention on the protection of the rights of all migrant workers and members of their families.

He called on the United Nations, African Union and world leaders to speak up in not only condemning the attacks, but also mounting pressure on South African government to, among other things, provide sufficient protection and safety for all migrants in South Africa, identify, profile and to bring perpetrators of the heinous crimes to full and complete justice.

The statement also pleaded with the Nigerian government to immediately make available emergency evacuation of Nigerians who are willing to return home, reach out to world leaders, multilateral and bilateral institutions to put pressure on South Africa to immediately put up a sustainable and lasting measure to stop the xenophobic attacks.