Two Ghanaian nationals have petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open a preliminary investigation into attacks on foreign nation...
JOHANNESBURG — Two Ghanaian nationals have petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) to open a preliminary investigation into attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa, arguing that the violence could amount to crimes against humanity.
The petition was submitted to the ICC on July 15 and alleges what the applicants describe as a pattern of widespread and systematic attacks against migrants living in South Africa.
The application was filed by Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, a former Ghanaian government spokesperson on governance and security, and Emmanuel Kotin, a counter-terrorism and security analyst.
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According to the petition, the South African government has failed to prevent, investigate and punish crimes committed against foreign nationals, including cases of murder linked to xenophobic violence.
South Africa has experienced a rise in anti-immigrant protests in recent months, with demonstrators blaming foreign nationals for challenges such as crime and unemployment. Some of the protests have been accompanied by violence, with reports of migrants being killed, assaulted and having their homes and businesses looted.
The petitioners said the repeated attacks raised concerns about the response of state authorities.
“For years, African brothers and sisters have been killed, beaten, and driven from their homes in South Africa,” they said in a statement.
They added that while many South Africans had publicly condemned the attacks, the recurring nature of the violence warranted international attention.
“While we commend individuals in South Africa who have condemned these acts, the pattern, scale, and recurrence of the violence raise serious questions about the failure of state authorities to prevent, investigate, and punish these crimes,” the statement said.
South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation rejected the allegations contained in the petition.
Foreign affairs ministry spokesperson Chrispin Phiri described the application as opportunistic, saying South Africa already has laws and institutions that protect people from discrimination.
“South Africa has a sophisticated domestic legal framework and legislation provides comprehensive safeguards and enforcement measures against discrimination of any kind, including intolerance on the grounds of social origin,” Phiri told Reuters.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has previously condemned attacks on foreign nationals and warned against blaming immigrants for South Africa’s economic and social challenges. His office had not commented on the latest petition at the time of reporting.
The International Criminal Court, which prosecutes war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, had not responded to requests for comment on whether it would consider opening a preliminary investigation.
South Africa has experienced periodic outbreaks of xenophobic violence over several years, despite migrants accounting for about five percent of the country’s population.
