Xenophobia: FG Seeks Forgiveness for South Africa

The Federal Government on Tuesday pleaded with Nigerians to forgive South Africa over Xenophobic attacks on foreigners in that country.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, made the plea when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs in Abuja. The Senate had summoned the minister for briefing on the recent xenophobic attacks in the former apartheid enclave.

Wali was accompanied to the session by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs II, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, the Nigerian envoys in South Africa, Messrs Uche Ajulu-Okeke, and Martin Cobham.

Wali specifically enjoined the Senate to reconsider its stand on the five-point resolution, seeking
severance of bilateral relation with South Africa.

The Senate had last week, in a resolution urged the Nigerian government to recall its two envoys in Pretoria and Johannesburg as well as drag the Zulu king, Goodwill Zwelithini,  before the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague.

The minister insisted that such drastic actions against the South Africa would adversely affect its economy and that Nigeria might attract negative publicity in the process.

Wali in his presentations explained that what happened in South Africa was not targeted at Nigerians, adding that the incident had negatively affected few Nigerians.

He said:

 “As at now the situation has not warranted such drastic actions like recalling our envoys in South Africa.  We are big brothers of Africa. We cannot retaliate by recalling our envoys because it will send wrong signals which could affect their economy. 

Even countries whose citizens were killed and got their shops looted have not taken such action.”