FG: We Won’t Cut Diplomatic Ties with S’Africa over Attacks

The federal government has pushed aside the suggestion that Nigeria should severe diplomatic ties with South Africa over the spate of xenophobic attacks on foreign nationals, including Nigerians, saying it would not be in the interest of Nigerians in South Africa.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, made known Nigeria’s position on the issue yesterday in Abuja when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Diaspora.

On the same day, members of House of Representatives cut short their recess, scheduled to end on September 12, to urgently address issues relating to the renewed hostilities against Nigerians resident in South-Africa, with a demand that “organised mass violence against Nigerians” must end.

Onyeama said available statistics from the Nigeria High Commission in Pretoria indicated that over 800,000 Nigerians are legally living in the South African country.

He noted that any attempt by Nigeria to cut diplomatic relationship with the former apartheid nation, would adversely affect Nigerians and their huge investments there.

He said the special envoys dispatched to Pretoria by President Muhammadu Buhari would return to Nigeria today, noting that their report would guide the President to take a decisive action in the overall interest of Nigeria.

Onyeama, who briefed journalists after a meeting with the Senate panel, led by Senator Bashir Ajibola, said Nigeria would consider other options apart from diplomatic ties severance, to resolve the unfortunate development.

He said: “We are not thinking of severing diplomatic ties. There are various options. We are not by any means at a stage where we are breaking diplomatic relations with South Africa.

“We just met with the Senate committee to review the situation with regards to South Africa and we looked at all the possible options; we analysed the possible causes and agreed on a road map going forward.

“We know for a fact that no Nigerian life has been lost so we are extremely concerned now to ensure that there will be adequate compensation for property that had been damaged.

“We know that a Nigerian Airline is putting a plane at the disposal of most Nigerians that wish to take the opportunity to leave South Africa; this is purely voluntary, but we are determined to particularly make sure that this crisis does not re-occur.

“It has been happening for far too long, it’s becoming almost endemic, so with the distinguished senators helping with some of the options, we may have to ensure that this will be the last time we will ever be meeting to talk about Nigerians attacked in South Africa and to take definitive measures. To start doing that, we want to have all the facts available and then we will take the necessary measures.”