Ghana to evacuate 300 citizens from South Africa amid anti-immigrant protests
Ghana's foreign ministry said it will evacuate 300 citizens who registered with the embassy in Pretoria as 'distressed' amid waves of anti-immigrant protests. The operation follows weeks of attacks reported in townships around the capital and Johannesburg. Other West African countries are weighing similar steps for their own nationals.
Ghana's foreign ministry said it will evacuate 300 citizens who turned to the Pretoria embassy describing themselves as in distress after weeks of anti-immigrant protests in South Africa. The first flight is expected to land in Accra in the coming days. The government has also reinforced its consular team on the ground.
The protests began as anger over unemployment and the housing shortage before quickly tipping into attacks on foreign-run shops. In neighbourhoods around Soweto and outside Johannesburg, businesses belonging to Ghanaians, Nigerians and Zimbabweans have been looted. South African police report more than 200 arrests, but local civil society groups say the security gap has not closed.
Nigeria and Zambia have also drawn up potential evacuation scenarios for their citizens. The African Union called for a rapid crisis coordination mechanism. The South African government says the situation is under control and underlines economic pressure as the main driver.
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