A PROTEST LETTER TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OF NIGERIA

It is with great sense of concern for the afro-centric disposition of Nigeria, and peace for all (even South Africans in Nigeria) that we write this letter of necessity calling upon the federal government of Nigeria to take a decisive diplomatic action against South Africa on the xenophobic attacks on citizens of Nigeria, and other foreign nationals residing In South Africa. 

It should be stated that Nigeria, through the establishment of National Committee against Apartheid (NACAP) in the 1960s, worked tirelessly to rescue the South Africans from the black waters of their own country. Through NACAP, hundreds of South Africans resident in Nigeria during apartheid went to school free of charge and Nigerian workers contributed financially to the liberation of their country. Furthermore, Nigeria championed the anti apartheid crusade at the United Nations. The UN resolutions (The General Assembly Resolution 2202 A (XXI) of 16 December 1966 and Security Council Resolution 556 of 23 October 1984) declaring apartheid a crime
against humanity, were mostly due to the relentless uncompromising efforts of various Nigerian administrations to tackle the menace that was a flagrant disrespect of basic constitutional human rights of dignity of persons.

History is awash with the contributions of Nigerians to the growth of South Africa. So, it is difficult to fathom why Nigerian citizens would now be repaid with ghastly murder, looting, intimidation, brigandage and untold humiliation in a territory, that should solemnly be regarded as a brother African homeland for Nigerians. 

We should state that we refuse to understand the perspectives of people who question why Nigerians cannot stay in their country, and so holding to the view that they should partly be blamed for the violence that they face. Nigerians are not the only people who travel outside their countries to seek economic betterment. Even citizens of the almighty America are found all across the world in search for better lives. South Africa has quite a lot of its citizens who have travelled down to Nigeria in search for better lives. In fact, within Africa, South Africa has the largest business stakes in Nigeria, and they have enjoyed protection from the Nigerian public. MTN, Shoprite, DSTV and so on continually enjoy high patronage and protection from the good people of Nigeria. It is demoralizing to realize that these same beneficiaries of Nigeria's Afro-centric benevolence are paying us back with xenophobic butchering.

These attacks which began in the year 2000 have caused hundreds of casualties with untold levels of monetary losses on all its victims. Xenophobic attacks on Nigerians and other foreign nationals in South Africa have attained an all time degree of barbarism. In recent weeks, South African locals (not militias) have been hunting, maiming and burning to death African immigrants in their country. They have been raping, robbing and murdering fellow African brothers and sisters. Many Nigerians resident in South Africa, have been rendered homeless and left destitute. They are all looking up to the Nigerian government for care.

As peace practitioners, we have done a crisis assessment, and we have discovered the lucid signs of levity on the part of the government of Nigeria. We cannot tell if this is due to the perceived unimportance of Nigerian lives to them or the lack of ideas on the proper diplomatic line of action. So, we proffer these solutions:

1.    Recall the Nigerian Ambassador to South Africa with immediate effect.

2.    Declare all South African diplomatic officials in Nigeria as persona non grata, and shut down the South African embassy.

3.    Place economic sanctions on South Africa. Hence, all South African businesses in Nigeria will be shut down until there is a complete cessation of violence against Nigerians in South Africa.

4.    Seek prosecution in the International Criminal Court (ICC) of the Zulu king who delivered the hate speech that triggered the blood-shed.

5.    Use the African Union to mount pressure on the South African government to ensure that all of the individual perpetrators of the crimes (murder, arson, looting, rape etc) are brought to book. This will serve as deterrence to future attacks.

6.    Engage the government of South Africa in a high power diplomatic dialogue on the implementation of policies to discourage xenophobic attacks, and sign an armistice stating that never again will such level of dehumanization be allowed to befall a Nigerian.

7.    Then, re-establish diplomatic relations on the basis of the newly acquired mutual respect.

The above-listed points are the keys to a long term peace between the people of Nigeria and the people of South Africa.

We hope this letter is given speedy attention. Thank you.