The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has said Ghana deserves recognition for its swift response in evacuating citizens caught up in xenophobic attacks in South Africa, describing the operation as one of the most proactive interventions undertaken by the country to protect its nationals abroad.
Speaking in a one-on-one interview on TV3’s Key Points programme on October 10, 2026, the Minister said government acted decisively to safeguard Ghanaians who felt threatened by recurring anti-immigrant violence in South Africa.
Commenting on renewed tensions in South Africa following a recent decision by the country’s apex court on asylum seekers, Mr Ablakwa noted that anti-immigrant sentiments remained a concern.
“It does appear to us that the whole undercurrents of anti-immigrant sentiments continue to remain strong. That is why as a government we must be commended for how proactively we acted,” he said.
The Minister revealed that Ghana had successfully evacuated 1,964 citizens from South Africa, making it one of the first countries to undertake such an exercise in response to the attacks.
“There have been many waves of these xenophobic attacks, but this is the first time that the government of Ghana has acted so swiftly to take our citizens who were willing, who voluntarily signed up to be taken out of harm’s way. And we can now boldly state that we have successfully evacuated 1,964 Ghanaians,” he stated.
According to him, government ensured that every Ghanaian who felt unsafe or had sought refuge was given the opportunity to return home.
Mr Ablakwa disclosed that some affected Ghanaians sought shelter at Ghana’s Mission in Pretoria, while others found refuge at facilities of The Church of Pentecost.
He noted that he had personally conveyed government’s appreciation to the Chairman of the Church on behalf of President John Dramani Mahama for the support provided to stranded Ghanaians during the crisis.
The Foreign Affairs Minister stressed that the evacuation exercise was carried out without discrimination, explaining that every Ghanaian was eligible for assistance regardless of political affiliation, ethnicity or place of origin.
“You don’t have to show a party card, you don’t have to indicate which part of Ghana you are coming from. To us, once you are a Ghanaian, you qualify. It is a matter of right,” he said.
Mr Ablakwa reaffirmed the Ministry’s commitment to protecting the interests and welfare of Ghanaians living abroad, describing consular services as a key responsibility of the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
He stated that the Ministry operates on the principle that an attack on any Ghanaian anywhere in the world is an attack on the nation as a whole.
“Our motto at the Ministry, when it comes to these matters, is that when you touch one Ghanaian, you touch all of us,” he said.
The Minister assured Ghanaians that government would continue to respond swiftly to threats against citizens abroad and take the necessary measures to ensure their safety and protection.