Buhari meets South African special envoy over xenophobic attacks

President Muhammadu Buhari met with Jeff Radebe, a special envoy sent by South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, in Abuja on Monday, September 16, 2019.

Radebe was accompanied by the South African High Commissioner to Nigeria, Bobby Moroe, to the State House to hold discussions over recent xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.

Local South African mobs, mostly in Johannesburg, had commenced a vandalisation and looting spree two weeks ago, targeting foreign-owned businesses in attacks that were tinged with xenophobic sentiments.

At least 12 people were killed, two of whom were unidentified foreigners.

Although no Nigerian life was lost, the conflict has created diplomatic tensions between Nigeria and South Africa, especially since Nigerians have been killed in previous xenophobic attacks, and were particularly targeted in the recent wave of violence.

In the wake of the attacks, President Buhari sent a special envoy to Ramaphosa to express his concerns.

The Nigerian government also evacuated 187 Nigerians from South Africa last week with hundreds more waiting to return to the country this week.

Last week, Ramaphosa dispatched special envoys to Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Senegal, Tanzania, Zambia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo to sue for peace and unity.