The African Union has backed a broader discussion on migration, a South African government ​official said on Thursday, after Ghana made ‌a proposal to place xenophobic violence in South Africa on the agenda of an upcoming AU meeting.

• Ghana has ​been a prominent critic of anti-immigrant protests ​and xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
• Clayson Monyela, a ⁠South African foreign affairs official, said on ​X that Pretoria had defeated an attempt to "single out & ​isolate" the country.
• "The AU will discuss the migration issue broadly & look at the 'Pull & Push' factors," Monyela wrote, referring to ​conditions that drive people to leave their countries ​and those that draw them elsewhere.
• Over the past few months anti-migrant ‌protests ⁠have taken place in South Africa.
• Ghana repatriated hundreds of its citizens ahead of a June 30 deadline set by a South African anti-migrant movement for ​undocumented foreigners to ​leave.
• Local media ⁠reported that the AU had rejected a proposal from Ghana that would ​have meant xenophobic violence in South Africa ​was ⁠discussed as a stand-alone agenda item at the body's mid-year coordination meeting in October.
• Neither South Africa's ⁠Department of ​International Relations and Cooperation nor ​a spokesperson for the Ghanaian government had any immediate comment.