Former Government Spokesperson on Governance and Security, Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, has strongly condemned the resurgence of xenophobic attacks against African migrants in South Africa, warning that the violence threatens regional stability and undermines Africa’s unity.

In a statement issued in Accra on April 27, 2026, Dr Boakye-Danquah described the attacks targeting nationals from countries including Ghana as deeply troubling and contrary to the continent’s shared values.

“I condemn in the strongest possible terms the recurring xenophobic attacks targeting fellow Africans… These acts of violence are an affront to our shared humanity, a betrayal of the Pan-African ideals we fought for, and a direct threat to regional peace and stability,” he stated.

He attributed the situation to what he called lapses in governance and security, pointing to failures in preventive systems and law enforcement.

According to him, the inability of authorities to address underlying social and economic pressures has contributed to misplaced anger against foreign nationals.

“These attacks expose a breakdown in early-warning systems, community policing, and intelligence-led prevention, when governments do not proactively address unemployment, misinformation, and resource scarcity. Frustration is wrongly redirected at fellow Africans,” he noted.

Dr Boakye-Danquah also raised concerns about impunity, warning that weak enforcement of the law only emboldens perpetrators.

“Impunity emboldens perpetrators. The slow pace of arrests, prosecutions, and convictions signals to mobs that violence against foreign nationals carries little consequence,” he said.

Beyond the immediate human toll, he cautioned that the attacks could have far-reaching consequences for regional cooperation and economic growth, particularly under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

“No country is secure when its neighbour’s streets are unsafe for Africans, economic self-sabotage,” he stressed.

He called for urgent and coordinated action, urging the South African government to ensure accountability through swift arrests and prosecutions.

“Justice must be visible to deter recurrence,” he emphasised.

Among his recommendations, Dr Boakye-Danquah proposed the establishment of a joint ECOWAS–SADC security task force to protect migrants, as well as, stronger efforts to counter misinformation and support youth employment across the continent.

He further called on the African Union to convene an emergency meeting of Heads of State to adopt a binding continental protocol against xenophobia.

In a passionate appeal to African solidarity, he invoked the philosophy of Ubuntu, urging citizens across the continent to reject division and embrace unity.

“Our forebears did not fight colonialism so we could turn on each other. To attack a Ghanaian in Johannesburg is to desecrate the grave of every African who stood for freedom,” he said.

He concluded with a message of support to victims and a call for collective responsibility.

“Let us choose Ubuntu over hatred, integration over isolation, and Africa over fragmentation.”

NA/VPO

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