The Government of Ghana has successfully concluded the evacuation of 1,964 Ghanaian nationals from South Africa, expending a total of GH₵49,721,786.00 in response to the recent wave of xenophobic violence targeting African migrants.
Speaking at a media briefing in Accra on Monday, September 7, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, disclosed that the operation commenced on May 27, 2026, and officially ended on September 4, 2026, making Ghana the first country to safely airlift its citizens from the unrest.
Outlining the financial breakdown of the unbudgeted intervention, Ablakwa revealed that the State covered GH₵33,721,786.00 of the total cost, while private firm Engineers and Planners, owned by businessman Ibrahim Mahama, donated GH₵16,000,000.00 to support the national effort.
A total of GH₵38,835,512.00 was allocated toward chartered flights, air tickets, ground transport, feeding, hotel accommodation, and medical care in South Africa. An additional GH₵10,802,000.00 went into direct cash grants, providing each evacuee with a GH₵5,000 reintegration package and GH₵500 in transport allowances. The repatriation of mortal remains accounted for GH₵84,274.00. The Foreign Minister confirmed that all operational bills have been settled in full with zero outstanding liabilities.
The emergency decision followed escalating intimidation and physical violence directed at foreign nationals, particularly in the Durban Central Business District in KwaZulu-Natal Province and parts of Cape Town. Ablakwa pointed to anti-immigrant vigilante movements, specifically “March and March” and “Operation Dudula,” which conducted illegal public checks, citizen arrests, and looting under the pretext of urban cleanup operations.
The Minister confirmed the tragic loss of four Ghanaian lives during the violence: Bashiru Issahaq, who was killed in Khayelitsha, Cape Town; Kwadwo Antwi, murdered in Prieska in the Northern Cape; Amoonu Jailor Nash, killed in East London; and Ebenezer Ayi Tawiah, who suffered severe health deterioration due to persistent harassment and died upon arrival at the Kotoka International Airport in Accra.
Ghana’s diplomatic authorities have lodged formal protests with South African law enforcement, demanding full and transparent criminal investigations to bring the perpetrators of these murders to justice.
On the continental front, the Minister highlighted that President John Dramani Mahama instructed a formal petition to the African Union Commission Chairperson to place xenophobic violence in South Africa on the official AU agenda.
Following high-level discussions with the AU Commission Chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, the matter has been officially scheduled for formal deliberation at the upcoming AU Summit in January 2027, backed by the unanimous endorsement of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.
To ensure long-term stability for the returnees, the government, alongside state agencies and private sector partners, has enrolled all 1,964 evacuees into a national database to link them directly with employment opportunities, skills training, and entrepreneurship startup schemes.
Additional immediate relief was extended to the returnees through free medical screenings, automatic National Health Insurance Scheme registration, complimentary SIM cards with data, psychosocial counseling, and emergency food packages.
Ablakwa reiterated the unwavering resolve of the government to safeguard the lives, dignity, and rights of Ghanaian citizens across the globe whenever their security is threatened.
Eugenia Ewoenam Osei
