President John Dramani Mahama has strongly condemned the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa, describing them as disturbing and contrary to the spirit of African unity, during a diaspora town hall meeting in London.
Addressing Ghanaians living in the United Kingdom on Sunday, May 31, the President said the incidents had led to a government-supported evacuation exercise that has already brought several Ghanaian nationals safely back home.
He stressed that the violence should not be viewed only as a security issue but as a direct challenge to Africa’s broader integration agenda.
“We’ve always pushed for African unity, and so it’s sad to see some of the things that are happening on the continent,” President Mahama said. “There’s no way that any African country can achieve the kind of progress that it needs without working with other countries. We cannot achieve it in isolation.”
He further emphasized Ghana’s historic leadership role in Pan-Africanism, noting that the country continues to position itself at the forefront of continental cooperation.
“We have achieved our pride of place again at the forefront,” he stated, suggesting that recent developments in South Africa undermine the vision of solidarity Ghana has long promoted.
The President also referenced the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a key example of efforts to deepen economic and social integration across the continent.
“That is why we passed AfCFTA, so that our people can move freely among themselves,” he added.
Beyond foreign affairs, President Mahama also touched on domestic governance issues during the engagement, acknowledging economic pressures and the need for difficult policy decisions in line with Ghana’s IMF programme.
He also addressed illegal mining, describing it as a challenge of formalisation rather than only enforcement.
“We still have a problem with illegal mining,” he said. “Ghana was not called Gold Coast for nothing.It is about what we call formalisation of mining.”
