The government of Nigeria has issued a travel advisory against South Africa over xenophobic violence.
“Due to the tension created by the attacks, the Government of Nigeria wishes to advise Nigerians to avoid travelling to high risk and volatile areas until the situation is brought under control,” a statement signed by Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ferdinand Nwonye said.
The statement said it was engaging the relevant South African authorities via the Nigerian High Commission in Pretoria, Consulate General in Johannesburg and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abuja to ensure measures are put in place to stop the attacks.
This came shortly after Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama confirmed the country’s boycott of the World Economic Forum scheduled for South Africa between Wednesday and Friday.
Additionally, Nigeria is demanding compensation for family members of victims and justice via prosecution of those perpetrating these attacks.
South African businesses have also been attacked in Nigeria, to the disapproval by the government.
“The reprisal attack is counterproductive because all South African interests and investments in Nigeria going by our indigenisation law have huge Nigerian stakes and investments. We must not in anyway seek to hurt ourselves. Two wrongs don’t make a right,” Nigeria’s Interior minister Rauf Aregbesola said.
Botswana and Lesotho have also issued travel alerts for citizens headed to South Africa as the country faces riots and xenophobic violence.
Eye Witness News (EWN) reporter Nthakoana Ngatane says visitors to South Africa have been told to exercise extreme caution in areas such Johannesburg, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Mpumalanga and North West.
