The Federal Government has yesterday revealed it is considering how it will respond to the xenophobic attack that Nigerians suffered in the hand of South Africa in the last two weeks.
The statement followed the advice offered by a former External Affairs Minister and a professor of political science, Bolaji Akinyemi, who urged the Nigerian government to sue South Africa to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for meting an unprovoked onslaught on Nigerian citizen living in South Africa.
The violence targeted against Nigerians and other African nationals in some parts of South Africa erupted on September 1, this compelled the Nigerian government to evacuate its citizens from South Africa.
Akinyemi accused the South African government of failing to protect Nigerians and other African citizens from a vicious violence from its citizen through making unguarded statements which is unbecoming of a responsible country.
According to the former minister, Nigeria need to seek redress from the ICC saying the attack was contrary to article 2, paragraph 2of the International Covenant Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
He added the South African also violated Article 2, Paragraph 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and the International Convention on the Protection of Migrant Workers.
Akinyemi accused the South African Authorities of sponsoring and condoning violence, pointing that the utterance and stance of, Naledi Pandor, its Foreign Minister, amounted to Acrophobia. Noting that utterances by South African leaders especially, Pandor, the Defence Minister, Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula and Bongani Mkongi, their deputy Minister of Police who all encouraged the attacked on Nigerians and other African National.
However, Emeka Anyaoku, a former Commonwealth Secretary-General differ in his opinion saying we have not got to that extent of approaching the ICC on the matter, stressing: “The two countries have gone a long way with large mutual interests to protect for themselves and for Africa.
He suggested the statement of apology by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa yesterday at the funeral of former Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in Harare “should be welcomed and high level diplomacy should now be employed by Nigeria to de-escalate the situation and make South Africa pay compensation to Nigerians who have suffered damages in all form.
