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Ghana-South Africa Presidential Meet Halted over Migrant Tensions
Ghana said the violence would have overshadowed August meetings and demanded concrete action to protect its nationals before any visit can proceed.
On Tuesday, Ghana postponed bilateral meetings with South Africa planned for August, citing a surge in anti-migrant violence. The summit was set to be co-chaired by President John Dramani Mahama and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
Escalating anti-foreigner attacks across South Africa forced around 1,000 Ghanaians to return home, with another 900 registering for repatriation following violence that turned deadly on June 30.
Ghana's foreign ministry reported a Ghanaian national was killed in Cape Town's Khayelitsha township on June 30 during anti-immigrant demonstrations. South African police dispute this, stating they have no record of such an incident that day.
Spokesperson Felix Kwakye Ofosu said Ghana values its relationship with South Africa but prefers to meet "when the issue of xenophobic attacks no longer hangs over such discussions."
South Africa will "continue to engage through diplomatic channels" to identify a future meeting date, according to Ramaphosa's spokesperson Vincent Magwenya, framing the deferral as a security-driven pause, not a rupture.
(Johannesburg=Yonhap News) Correspondent Na Hak-jin = As anti-immigrant sentiment intensifies in South Africa, diplomatic tensions between South Africa and neighboring African countries are escalating...