Ghana ready to evacuate more citizens from South Africa if situation worsens – Ablakwa

Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has stated that the country is prepared to evacuate additional citizens from South Africa should the security conditions deteriorate further. During an appearance on TV3, Mr. Ablakwa informed that the Ghanaian mission in Pretoria has relayed a report to the Ministry, describing the current situation as "quite a dire situation" with persistent anti-immigrant sentiments.

Part of the issue stems from a recent ruling by South Africa's highest court concerning asylum seekers. The Consular and Humanitarian Affairs Bureau within the Ministry is closely monitoring the situation and ensuring the well-being of Ghanaians who may require assistance. Although the government has not closed the door on further evacuations, Mr. Ablakwa emphasized that if the situation worsens and more Ghanians need aid, they will not hesitate to act.

To date, 1,964 Ghanaians have been evacuated from South Africa as part of the most recent operation. Globally, over 6,300 Ghanaians have been rescued from perilous circumstances since the previous year, including those in Libya, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Mr. Ablakwa further revealed that Ghana's 72 diplomatic missions across the globe keep tabs on the welfare of their citizens in foreign lands.

Regarding Ghana's complaint to the African Union (AU) about attacks on foreign nationals, he mentioned that the AU has responded, with discussions planned at their upcoming summit in January 2027. The minister declined to delve into specifics of the latest incident in South Africa to avoid influencing those deliberations. He urged South African authorities to adopt a more robust approach to curb further attacks on foreign nationals and ensure the safety of migrants.