25 September, 2019
WAHRDN call for the immediate convening of an extraordinary session of the African Union Heads of Governments to take a comprehensive position of Xenophobia in Africa

This statement was first published by the West Africa Human Rights Defenders Network. 

The West Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (WAHRDN) is very worried with the spate of violence and killings meted out to fellow African from other parts of Africa by some citizens of South Africa. It is sad that businesses identified to belong to Africans were attacked and destroyed by the rampaging South Africans. The lives and businesses of Africans in South Africa have continued to remain endangered.

It is most worrying that African from around the world are in shock, as the violent destruction of lives and businesses, and looting went on with little intervention by the law enforcement agencies in South Africa.

The recurring violence in South Africa is beginning to trigger retaliation in other African countries, as the nationals of Nigeria, Zambia and Mozambique have attacked South African business interests in their respective countries.

We therefore call on the government of South Africa to take immediate steps to end this unfortunate spate of violence against Africans. We also call on all other national governments in Africa to prevent and stop the occurrence of reprisal attacks in their respective countries. We equally call for the immediate convening of an extraordinary session of the African Union Heads of Governments to take a comprehensive position of Xenophobia in Africa, and actualize same without further delay.

We wish to reaffirm our commitment to a united and peaceful Africa.