Political analyst Fidelis Aturah Ayam has suggested that Ghana could have pursued broader diplomatic engagement before repatriating citizens affected by xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Speaking on Dreamz FM’s The State of Our Nation, Mr. Ayam said while the government was right to protect its citizens, more effort could have been made to engage South African authorities and regional bodies before evacuations began.
“You cannot blame the Ghanaian government for protecting its citizens. But I think we could have engaged South Africa more extensively and exhausted available diplomatic channels,” he stated.
Mr. Ayam noted that South African authorities have argued that many of the Ghanaians repatriated were undocumented migrants, a claim that has fueled debate over the scale and nature of the crisis.
According to him, Ghana should have worked through diplomatic and continental institutions such as the African Union to seek stronger guarantees for the safety of Ghanaians living in South Africa.
He observed that while approximately 300 Ghanaians had returned home, official estimates place the Ghanaian population in South Africa at around 15,000.
“If all Ghanaians in South Africa were genuinely under attack, the numbers returning would have been far greater. That is why engagement was important,” he argued.
Nonetheless, he defended the government’s decision to assist any Ghanaian citizen who felt unsafe and wished to return home.
