By Idriss LAWAL
Nigeria and Ghana have agreed to deepen their partnership against all forms of xenophobia, Afrophobia, intolerance and violence against fellow Africans.
This is contained in a statement issued in Abuja by Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesman, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following the bilateral meeting between Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye and Ghana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Ablakwa.
The two countries agreed that acts of violence against fellow Africans run contrary to the shared values of Pan-Africanism and the collective progress of the continent.
The ministers’ meeting was on the sidelines of the ongoing ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit from July 12 to July 19 in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
They called for urgent coordinated regional and continental responses to tackle the root causes of Afrophobic protests on the continent, protect lives, dignity of African migrants, and promote harmonious co-existence.
ALSO READ: Xenophobia: South Africa police torture Nigerian man to death
According to them, criminals among the migrant population must be treated in accordance with the rule of law and not be subjected to violence and mob actions that often target even regular migrants and other law-abiding African citizens.
The ministers agreed to deepen bilateral ties to ensure the issue of Afrophobia is placed on the agenda of the next African Union Summit.
They committed to collaborating with other like-minded member states to advocate for stronger mechanisms within the African Union framework, including enhanced monitoring, early warning systems, and preventive diplomacy to avert future occurrences.
The minister further conveyed the greetings of President Bola Tinubu to the President of Ghana, John Mahama, and commended Ghana for championing Pan-Africanism.
He lauded the country’s calls for reparations for Africa and people of African descent, over the historical injustice they suffered during the trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and the colonial period.
