Nigeria has boycotted the World
Economic Forum on Africa 2019 taking Cape Town, South Africa following
Xenophobic attacks against its citizens in the last week.
The Forum which kicked off on
Wednesday had no Nigerian delegation in attendance as other African countries
joined Nigeria in boycotting the event. Some of the other African countries
that have pulled out of WEF are Rwanda, Malawi and DR Congo.
As at the time of filing this
report, President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo were
meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama to discuss next
step on Xenophobic attacks against Nigerians in South Africa.
The Nigerian government is
exploring possible options including sanctions against the South African
government.
The government is also
deliberating over possible actions from within after some Nigerians carried out
reprisal attacks against South African businesses in Nigeria including attacks
on one of Africa’s largest food retailer, Shoprite, and telecoms giant, MTN,
forcing the organisations to scale down operations.
“President Muhammadu Buhari and
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have taken hands-on approach in resolving the
Xenophobia issue with South Africa but they want everything done
diplomatically,” a source in the Presidency said.
“The boycott of WEF is another strong
statement to the South African government and people because the Buhari
administration will not stand and fold its arms after attack on any Nigerian
citizen. This is the right step in the right direction.
It will be recalled that the
Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr. Onyeama met with the South African High
Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Bobby Monroe, on Tuesday to express his
displeasure at the Xenophobic attacks and to also condemn the attacks.
Mr. Onyeama said the federal
government expected that such security operatives would eventually be
incorporated in the South African police with a view to assisting it in
pre-empting future attack against Nigerians.
“We have registered our strong
protest to the government of South Africa but most importantly, we have put
forward to the South African government what we think will make a big
difference,” he said after the two met in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
“One, with regards to
compensation for those who have suffered losses and most importantly, a
security proposal that we believe will safeguard the security of Nigerians in
the future.
“We are hoping to see the
possibility of sending some security agents, deploying them initially in the
Nigerian High Commission, to work closely with the South African Police Force.”
He dismissed any contemplation by
Nigeria to embark on any revenge mission against South Africans or their
businesses, saying two wrongs do not make a right.
The minister said South Africa
was provoked by the attacks by its nationals and was striving hard to put the
situation under control. “We don’t believe that two wrongs make a right. I
think in terms of revenge on those kinds of attacks is not what we are looking
forward to,” he said, adding that, “The South African government has assured us
that they are doing everything possible to address the situation; that they are
equally exasperated by the whole event.”
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