Vice-President Kashim Shettima says Nigeria will no longer tolerate the dehumanisation or mistreatment of its citizens in South Africa following the prolonged xenophobic violence in the country.
Speaking to journalists in Luanda, Angola, on Monday,
Shettima said Nigeria remained committed to resolving its concerns with South
Africa through dialogue and peaceful engagement.
He, however, said the country but would continue to make its
position clear whenever the dignity and safety of Nigerians are threatened.
The vice-president spoke shortly before departing Angola,
where he represented President Bola Tinubu at the 21st extraordinary session of
the assembly of heads of state and government of the African Union (AU).
“Those whose palm kernels were cracked by benevolent spirits
should learn to be humble,” Shettima said.
“We were part of the struggle for the liberation of our
brothers and sisters in Southern Africa, and we feel personally pained that our
people have been picked up for humiliation.
“The government and people of Nigeria will no longer
countenance a situation whereby our people are dehumanised and put into very,
very unacceptable situations.
“But we believe in having very robust conversations with our
South African brothers. We don’t want to overheat the polity, but once in a
while, you have to make it very clear, vehemently clear, that certain
situations are unacceptable, and we’ll work things out.”
Shettima urged the AU to take immediate action against what
Nigeria, and some other African countries have described as “Afrophobic”
attacks in South Africa.
The term is used to describe attacks and hostility directed
at Africans and other foreign nationals in South Africa by rights groups who
have cited the growing population of “illegal” immigrants as burdensome on
public resources.
However, even legal migrants say they have been targeted in
the xenophobic attacks.
From June to July, over the course of five weeks, Nigeria
repatriated nearly 1,500 citizens from South Africa. Two more batches,
facilitated by private individuals, arrived this month.
At the AU meeting in Luanda, Shettima urged African leaders
to reaffirm their commitment to the safety, protection and dignity of all
African nationals, according to a statement issued by Stanley Nkwocha, his
spokeperson.
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