The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, His Excellency, Ambassador Sola Enikanolaiye and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Ghana, Honourable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa had a very successful bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the ongoing ECOWAS Mid-Year Summit in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Friday, 17 July 2026.
The two Ministers engaged in constructive and frank discussions on the recent Afrophobic protests and incidents targeting African nationals in South Africa. They expressed deep concern over the resurgence of Afrophobic sentiments and violence, noting that such acts undermine the ideals of African unity, solidarity, free movement of persons and regional integration as enshrined in the Constitutive Act of the African Union and the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Both sides condemned all forms of xenophobia, Afrophobia, intolerance and violence against fellow Africans, emphasizing that such acts are contrary to the shared values of Pan-Africanism and the collective progress of the continent. They underscored the need for urgent, coordinated regional and continental responses to address the root causes of these tensions, protect the lives and dignity of African migrants, and promote harmonious coexistence. They stressed that criminals among migrant populations must be treated in accordance with the rule of law and not be subjected to violence and mob actions that often target even regular migrants and other law-abiding African citizens.
The ministers agreed to work closely together to ensure that the issue of Afrophobia is placed on the agenda of the next African Union Summit. They committed to collaborating with other like-minded Member States to advocate for stronger mechanisms within the African Union framework, including enhanced monitoring, early warning systems, and preventive diplomacy to avert future occurrences.