Tinubu Snubs Ramaphosa’s Envoy as Tensions Rise Over Fresh Xenophobic Attacks in South Africa

President Bola Tinubu has reportedly declined a request to meet a special envoy sent by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a diplomatic development that comes amid growing concerns over renewed xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa.

Presidency sources familiar with the matter disclosed that the South African delegation, headed by the country’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, arrived in Abuja on Friday carrying a message from President Ramaphosa.

However, sources indicated that the delegation sought an audience with President Tinubu without prior arrangements, a move that reportedly did not sit well with the Nigerian Presidency.

The unexpected diplomatic snub comes at a sensitive period in relations between both countries, as Nigeria continues to demand stronger action from Pretoria following reports of fresh attacks on Nigerians living in South Africa.

For years, recurring incidents of xenophobic violence have strained ties between Africa’s two largest economies, with Nigerian authorities repeatedly calling on South Africa to guarantee the safety of foreign nationals and bring perpetrators of such attacks to justice.

Rather than meeting with President Tinubu, the South African delegation is now expected to hold talks with Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, who is expected to receive and review the message from President Ramaphosa on behalf of the Federal Government.

The development has sparked speculation within diplomatic circles about the significance of the Presidency’s decision, especially against the backdrop of growing public outrage in Nigeria over the treatment of its citizens in South Africa.

Efforts to obtain official reactions from Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry yielded no immediate response. Both the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, had not commented on the matter as of the time of filing this report.

The incident is likely to draw further attention to the longstanding challenge of xenophobia in South Africa and the pressure on both governments to prevent the issue from escalating into a deeper diplomatic dispute.President Bola Tinubu has reportedly declined a request to meet a special envoy sent by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, in a diplomatic development that comes amid growing concerns over renewed xenophobic attacks targeting Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa.

Presidency sources familiar with the matter disclosed that the South African delegation, headed by the country’s Minister of International Relations and Cooperation, Ronald Lamola, arrived in Abuja on Friday carrying a message from President Ramaphosa.

Advertisement

However, sources indicated that the delegation sought an audience with President Tinubu without prior arrangements, a move that reportedly did not sit well with the Nigerian Presidency.

The unexpected diplomatic snub comes at a sensitive period in relations between both countries, as Nigeria continues to demand stronger action from Pretoria following reports of fresh attacks on Nigerians living in South Africa.

For years, recurring incidents of xenophobic violence have strained ties between Africa’s two largest economies, with Nigerian authorities repeatedly calling on South Africa to guarantee the safety of foreign nationals and bring perpetrators of such attacks to justice.

Rather than meeting with President Tinubu, the South African delegation is now expected to hold talks with Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, who is expected to receive and review the message from President Ramaphosa on behalf of the Federal Government.

The development has sparked speculation within diplomatic circles about the significance of the Presidency’s decision, especially against the backdrop of growing public outrage in Nigeria over the treatment of its citizens in South Africa.

Efforts to obtain official reactions from Nigeria’s Foreign Affairs Ministry yielded no immediate response. Both the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye, had not commented on the matter as of the time of filing this report.

The incident is likely to draw further attention to the longstanding challenge of xenophobia in South Africa and the pressure on both governments to prevent the issue from escalating into a deeper diplomatic dispute.