Xenophobia: Why we won’t report South Africa to UN - FG explains

- The federal government said it will not table the issue of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa before the United Nationss

- Geoffrey Onyeama, Nigeria's foreign affairs minister, said the issue can be sorted out without getting the UN involved

- Onyeama, however, said avenues are currently being explored to secure compensation for Nigerians whose businesses were attacked

The minister of foreign affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, has said the federal government will not present the issue of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa at the 74th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, United States of America.

Speaking ahead of Nigeria’s participation in the 74th UNGA, Onyeama, however, said the issue of migration will be discussed in the context of the United Nations Compact on Migration, The Sun reports.

He noted that the xenophobic issue has not gotten to a stage where it can be reported to the United Nations.

“We haven’t got to that stage yet. And I don’t think it is necessary. I think it is something we can sort out ourselves. We have that capacity and belief to do that,” Onyeama said.

Regarding the issue of compensating Nigerians whose businesses were attacked in South Africa, the foreign minister explained that South African laws required all businesses to be insured against various things, including things like riot and others, citing explanation given by President Cyril Ramaphosa’s envoy sent to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Onyeama added: “So, if you suffer looting and damage, in their argument, that it should be covered under the insurance that you should have taken out because the law requires you to take that insurance out and that it is not the government that will insure you because the insurance companies are there to insure you and that if you don’t have that insurance, you are actually in breach of their laws."

He, however, said that the federal government was looking for other means and argument to secure compensation for those who lost their properties in the attack.

He said: “We are looking at the South Africa-Nigeria business agreement. It is actually expired at the moment, but it still protects those businesses that were established before the period of the agreement between Nigeria and South Africa. And within that, it is envisaged that there will be compensation for businesses or investors. It is actually an investor-protection agreement between the two countries.

“So, we have to look at that also to see to what extent that covers the situation we have at the moment. And also, and most importantly, is that Mr President will be going to South Africa on October 3. There is a bi-national commission between South Africa and Nigeria. It has been agreed that this commission will now be at the level of the heads of state.

“So, it will be the only bi-national agreement this country has at the level of heads of state. And within the framework of this bi-national commission, we will go there to discuss all issues of importance to both countries and also signed various agreements."

The foreign minister added that the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa and the Consulate General had been directed to compile all the losses suffered by Nigerians and the details of all Nigerians lost in the xenophobic attacks.

“We are reliably informed that no Nigerian was killed during this last crisis, but of course in the past, and to give us all the details. We are compiling all the detail information with regard to Nigerians in South Africa, including also, the criminal elements, the acts of criminality being caused by Nigerians – drug trafficking, human trafficking and the killing of a lot of Nigerians in South Africa by Nigerians which apparently is actually that the majority of Nigerians being killed in South Africa, we are informed, are actually by Nigerians.

“We are going to look at all that and we will raise with the South Africans, all these issues and agree on a mechanism to address all of them,” Onyeama said.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the Air Peace flight sent to evacuate the second batch of Nigerians fleeing South Africa following xenophobic attacks on foreigners had finally landed in the country.

The development was made public by the chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa on Wednesday morning, September 18.

In a tweet posted on her Twitter handle, @abikedabiri, Dabiri-Erewa disclosed that the plane should depart from Johannesburg in a couple of hours, upon the conclusion of documentation.

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Source: Legit.ng