Xenophobia: SERAP seeks SADC intervention to halt attacks
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has sent an open letter to His Majesty King Mswati III of Swaziland and Chairperson, Southern African Development Community (SADC), urging him to “convene an emergency summit of the SADC heads of state and government to discuss the persistent xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other foreign nationals living in South Africa.”
In the letter dated 24 February 2017 and signed by SERAP executive director, Adetokunbo Mumuni the organization said “persistent and longstanding xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other foreign nationals, the complete impunity of perpetrators and the failure of the authorities to provide an effective remedy and reparation to victims directly undermine SADC mandates on regional integration and human rights.”
The organization also urged SADC to “Use the Organ on Politics, Defence, and Security Cooperation within SADC to immediately set up an independent and impartial body to investigate all acts of xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other foreign nationals.
The investigation’s findings and recommendations should be made public, suspected perpetrators brought to justice and victims must enjoy the right to an effective remedy and reparation.”
The letter reads in part: “The immigration status of Nigerians and other foreign nationals who are victims of the attacks in South Africa can never justify any xenophobic attacks on them.”
SERAP said that it was seriously concerned about the apparent complicity of the South African authorities and officials in persistent and serious human rights violations and abuses against thousands of Nigerians living in the country, and/or the failure of the authorities to exercise due diligence to prevent those violations and abuses.