Former Minister of External Affairs, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi has advised the federal government to take South Africa to the International Criminal Court (ICC) over xenophobic attacks against Nigerians.
Akinyemi said South African government and officials were tactically supporting violence.
He accused South Africa leaders of inciting the attacks through hate speeches and profiling of Nigerians, stating they too should be reported at the ICC.
In a statement on Sunday titled ‘South African culpability on Xenophobic attacks on Nigerians’, Akinyemi said: “I have come to the conclusion that the Xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other immigrants are acts sponsored or condoned by the South African state in violation of:
“Article 2, paragraph 2 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;
“Article 2, paragraph 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
“United Nations Convention on the elimination of all forms of Racial Discrimination International Convention on the Protection of Migrant Workers.”
He called for filing of suits against South African officials and diplomats who incited and fuelled the attacks, stating there were guilty of “failure of care and protection of Nigerian citizens resident there.”
