Nigeria has called on the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS to take a decisive and collective position against the rising wave of xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa.
In a statement issued in Abuja, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Sola Enikanolaiye, condemned the targeted harassment, assault and killings of Africans by certain groups in South Africa.
Enikanolaiye made the call on the margins of the 56th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Mediation and Security Council in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
He described the attacks on citizens of other African countries as unacceptable and a direct affront to African unity, solidarity and the principles of the African Union, AU.
The Minister urged the Council to adopt a firm, strongly-worded resolution for immediate transmission to the AU, in line with an earlier proposal by Ghana, to ensure a sustainable and coordinated response to the crisis.
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On regional security, Enikanolaiye proposed sustained dialogue with the Alliance of Sahelian States, AES, to strengthen joint action against terrorism, violent extremism and transnational organised crime. He noted that such engagement is critical to promoting peace, stability and development across West Africa and the Sahel.
The Minister further stressed the need for ECOWAS Member-States to meet their financial obligations through prompt payment of the Community Levy. He also called for greater unity in the defense of democracy, good governance, and collective security as the foundation for achieving the ECOWAS 2050 Vision.
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(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
