Evacuation of c from South Africa appropriate – Expert

An international relations and foreign policy expert, Prof. Daniel Dramani Kipo-Sunyehzi, has described the government’s decision to evacuate 300 Ghanaians from South Africa following renewed xenophobic attacks as an appropriate and timely preventive measure to protect citizens abroad.

In an interview with the Daily Graphic on Wednesday, Prof. Kipo-Sunyehzi, who is also a lecturer at the Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy (LECIAD), said the move demonstrated the government’s responsiveness to the welfare of Ghanaians outside the country.

“I think it made government very, very responsive to the interests of citizens abroad. Because this xenophobic attack is not something that is new, it’s always up and down. And the attacks are repeating across African countries,” he said.

Background

Prof. Kipo-Sunyehzi’s comment followed the announcement by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, on evacuation plans by the government.

The minister posted on his social media handles last Tuesday that President John Dramani Mahama had approved the immediate evacuation of 300 Ghanaians from South Africa following the fresh wave of xenophobic attacks against African nationals by Black South Africans.

Mr Ablakwa said the Ghanaian citizens had already complied with the ministry’s advice and registered with the Ghana’s High Commission in Pretoria.

Petition

Prof. Kipo-Sunyehzi also said that while Ghana’s decision to petition the African Union (AU) was right, the AU should adopt a more decisive, continent-wide response to the recurring attacks.

“All African countries must come together to deal with the situation.

We fought as a continent for their liberation only for them to turn their back against their own brothers and sisters from other African countries,” he said. 

“Just expel them (South Africa) from the continental union and let them feel it.

Countries should start expelling South African citizens.

For me, if diplomacy is not yielding, we go beyond that and let them feel that they need us more,” the lecturer added. 

He further condemned the involvement of civilians in enforcing immigration laws in South Africa, describing it as “lawless behaviour with impunity.”

Prof. Kipo-Sunyehzi opined that the South African government’s perceived leniency towards such hooligans stemmed from political considerations.

Irregular migration

On what Ghana could do to reduce the vulnerability of its citizens abroad, Prof. Kipo-Sunyehzi said a long-term solution included strengthening the domestic economy to create more jobs.

“Migration is something that we cannot totally eradicate because it has lived with humanity. But unemployment is one of the reasons that is causing all this,” he said.

He urged the government, civil society and the private sector to work together to create opportunities so that young people would not feel compelled to take risky journeys abroad.