Falana drags South Africa to African rights commission over xenophobic attacks

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, has petitioned the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights over what he described as the South African government’s inability to halt recurring xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals.

In the petition, Falana urged the commission to immediately step into the matter and forward the case to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights for what he termed a ‘binding adjudication’ on the issue.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) argued that the recent wave of attacks targeting foreigners in South Africa reflects a deeper systemic problem rather than isolated incidents.

Falana also criticised South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, saying the government had focused on asking foreigners to respect local traditions instead of decisively tackling the violence.

According to the petition, there is a persistent and widely documented pattern of intimidation, discrimination and violent attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals living in South Africa.

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He stated that the attacks have repeatedly involved killings, assaults, arbitrary arrests, torture, destruction of businesses, forced displacement and threats to personal safety.

Falana referenced recent incidents involving two Nigerians, Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew, who were reportedly killed in April 2026 in separate encounters involving personnel of the South African National Defence Force.

The petition said Andrew allegedly died after being arrested in Pretoria following an altercation with law enforcement officials, while his body was later found in a mortuary. Emmanuel was also reported to have died from injuries allegedly inflicted by security operatives.

Falana said the incidents had generated outrage within the Nigerian community and raised concerns about the accountability of security personnel in South Africa.

The lawyer further cited renewed mob attacks against African migrants, noting that videos circulated in May 2026 showed groups assaulting Black foreign nationals and demanding that they leave the country.

He alleged that some victims were beaten with sticks, harassed and subjected to degrading treatment amid inflammatory anti-foreigner rhetoric.

According to the petition, the attacks were reported in several areas including Gauteng Province, Durban, Cape Town, East London, KwaZulu-Natal and the Eastern Cape.

Falana also noted that diplomatic missions, including the Nigerian High Commission, had issued security advisories warning about planned protests and violent demonstrations targeting foreign nationals.

He added that other African countries, including Ghana, had expressed concern over the safety of their citizens in South Africa and called for urgent action.

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The lawyer asked the commission to conduct what he described as a thorough and independent investigation into the ongoing xenophobic violence affecting Nigerians and other African nationals.

Falana also requested that the matter be presented before the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union.

He further urged the South African government to ensure that perpetrators are held accountable, improve protection for foreign nationals, stop incitement to xenophobic violence and address the underlying causes of discrimination and insecurity.