President John Draman Mahama has approved the immediate evacuation of 300 Ghanaians from South Africa following xenophobic attacks in that country against other African nations, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has announced.
Last week, Emmanuel Asamoah, a Ghanaian national who was recently harassed in South Africa under xenophobic circumstances was repatriated to Ghana as a precaution over growing fear for his safety due to tensed xenophobic climate in South Africa.
Asamoah arrived in Accra on Tuesday, May 5, 2026, from Johannesburg, accompanied by the Ghana High Commissioner to South Africa, Benjamin Quarshie.
The decision to repatriate Asamoah followed a video shared on social media in which Asamoah was accosted by some South African nationals in April [2026], who demanded his documents, triggering public concern over the safety of Ghanaians living in South Africa and raising broader questions about the protection of African migrants there.
Already, Ghana has asked the African Union (AU) to place the issue of xenophobic attacks in South Africa against other African nationals on the agenda for 8th Mid-Year Coordination Meeting scheduled for June 24-27 at El Alamein in Egypt.
Mr Ablakwa posted on X on Tuesday evening:
“His Excellency John Mahama has granted presidential approval for the immediate evacuation of 300 Ghanaians in South Africa.
“These distressed Ghanaians had earlier complied with the Foreign Ministry’s advisory and registered with our High Commission in Pretoria to be rescued following the latest wave of xenophobic attacks.
“The Government of Ghana shall continue to safeguard the welfare of all Ghanaians home and abroad.”
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His Excellency John Mahama has granted presidential approval for the immediate evacuation of 300 Ghanaians in South Africa.
— Sam Okudzeto Ablakwa (@S_OkudzetoAblak) May 12, 2026
These distressed Ghanaians had earlier complied with the Foreign Ministry’s advisory and registered with our High Commission in Pretoria to be rescued…
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