By: Ijeoma Sandra, Nnewi.
Igbo Youths Worldwide (Odinma Umu Igbo) has condemned the recurring xenophobic attacks against Igbo people, Nigerians and other African nationals living in South Africa, calling on the South African government to take immediate steps to end the violence and bring perpetrators to justice.
In a statement signed by its President-General, Mazi Anyanwuakpaoke, weekend, the group described the attacks, intimidation, unlawful killings and destruction of businesses belonging to foreign Africans as an assault on the collective conscience of the continent.
According to the group, the incidents violate the principles of Pan-Africanism, brotherhood, human dignity and peaceful coexistence upon which Africa’s future should be built.
It expressed sadness that fellow Africans were turning against one another, noting that such actions echoed the painful era of colonialism and apartheid when Africans suffered oppression and discrimination.
The organisation reminded South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and the country’s citizens of Nigeria’s significant contributions to the struggle against apartheid, recalling that successive Nigerian governments, labour unions, civil society organisations, students and ordinary citizens provided political, diplomatic, financial and moral support to South Africa’s liberation.
The group also highlighted the contributions of late Nigerian nationalist, Mazi Mbazulike Amaechi, and many other Nigerians, including people of Igbo extraction, who stood in solidarity with South Africans until the end of apartheid under the leadership of the late Nelson Mandela and other liberation heroes.
“It is painful that the descendants of those who benefited from Africa’s collective sacrifice now witness fellow Africans being hunted, assaulted, dispossessed and, in some tragic cases, killed simply because they are foreigners,” the statement said.
The organisation described the Igbo as a people renowned globally for enterprise, resilience, innovation and peaceful economic engagement, stressing that they contribute significantly to commerce, employment generation, investment and community development wherever they reside.
It warned that the destruction of businesses established through years of hard work not only impoverishes innocent families but also weakens South Africa’s economy, discourages investment and damages the country’s international reputation.
The group also commended Burkina Faso’s leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré, for promoting African dignity, sovereignty and continental cooperation, describing his leadership as an inspiration to many young Africans.
Igbo Youths Worldwide urged the South African government to end all forms of xenophobic violence, guarantee the safety of law-abiding African residents, particularly Nigerians and Igbos, arrest and prosecute those responsible for attacks and destruction of property, promote public enlightenment on tolerance and peaceful coexistence, and strengthen diplomatic engagement with Nigeria to ensure the safety of Nigerian citizens.
The organisation further called on the Federal Government of Nigeria, the African Union, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the international human rights community to speak out against xenophobic violence, warning that silence would only embolden perpetrators.
While urging Igbo residents in South Africa to remain law-abiding and avoid retaliation, the group reaffirmed its commitment to justice, peace and African unity, stressing that the continent’s future depends on dialogue, cooperation and mutual respect rather than hatred and division.
