The Member of Parliament for Abirem and former Ghana High Commissioner to South Africa, Charles Asuako Owiredu, has called for a coordinated continental response to recent xenophobic attacks involving Ghanaian nationals in South Africa.

Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, April 25, Mr Owiredu stressed that mere condemnations from South African authorities were not sufficient to address the recurring issue.

He argued that stronger diplomatic pressure was needed to ensure accountability and deterrence.

“It is not enough for South Africa and its police to issue a statement condemning it. We must involve other Ambassadors in South Africa and involve the African Union to pursue this issue, and once they see that we have this united front, they will deal with these acts,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Ghana’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has confirmed that the South African government has expressed regret over the incidents and assured Ghana of investigations.

He noted that Ghana continues to engage its counterparts to ensure the safety and protection of its nationals, adding that firm diplomatic discussions have already taken place to prevent a recurrence of such attacks.