Nigeria has recalled its High Commissioner to South Africa as it reacts diplomatically to the attacks on its nationals.
Ambassador Kabiru Bala, according to local media reporting was recalled, forcing him to also pull out of the World Economic Summit taking place in Cape Town this week.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that Nigeria has demanded for “full compensation for the loss of life and property of Nigerians affected by the xenophobic attack”.
It’s not only Nigeria that has decided to pull out of the World Economic Summit. Earlier, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Malawi took similar decisions.
Presidents Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Felix Tshisekedi (DRC) and Peter Mutharika (Malawi) have all withdrawn from the event.
Nigeria’s decision to recall it’s ambassador to South Africa was taken at meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari, his vice Osinbajo and Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama.
There has been wide condemnation of ongoing chaos in South Africa with some African countries livid about the wave of xenophobic attacks there.
For months now, Nigerians have been protesting what they call xenophobic attacks on their nationals in South Africa.
Some 800,000 Nigerians reside in South Africa and some 128 of them have been killed in attacks since 2016.
The latest attacks on foreigners in South Africa started last week after a taxi driver was murdered by an alleged drug dealer in Pretoria.
South African media reported that the said killer was speculated to a Nigerian. That sparked protest followed by looting and burning of foreign-owned businesses.
Source: Africafeeds.com
