ECOWAS orders probe into xenophobic attacks in South Africa

By Lawrence Agbo

The ECOWAS Parliament has directed an official investigation into the growing wave of xenophobic violence against African migrants in South Africa, as concerns mount over the safety of West African citizens across the continent.

The decision was taken during the First 2026 ECOWAS Parliament Ordinary Session held on Tuesday in Abuja, following a motion of urgent public importance moved by Ghanaian lawmaker and Third Deputy Speaker, Alexander Afenyo-Markin.

Lawmakers agreed to mandate the Parliament’s Committee on Political Affairs to examine recent incidents of xenophobic attacks targeting citizens of ECOWAS member states in South Africa.

In his presentation, Afenyo-Markin urged regional leaders to confront the worsening insecurity facing West African nationals, both within the sub-region and abroad.

He referenced recent violent incidents in South Africa, including attacks in KwaZulu-Natal, Cape Town, and Pretoria, where migrants from countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, and Ethiopia were reportedly killed, displaced, and had their businesses destroyed.

The Ghanaian lawmaker also criticised what he described as the gap between ECOWAS’ Free Movement Protocol and the lived reality of citizens, noting that harassment at borders and insecurity along regional routes have undermined integration efforts.

He further called for stronger diplomatic and legal action, including formal engagement with South African authorities and regional human rights bodies, to ensure accountability and protection for affected migrants.

Afenyo-Markin stressed that verbal condemnations alone were insufficient, insisting that concrete enforcement measures were needed to prevent further attacks.

Following deliberations, the ECOWAS Parliament resolved to transmit formal communications to South Africa’s legislature and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, urging swift investigation and prosecution of perpetrators.