South Africa Foreign Affairs Minister Naledi Pandor on Thursday confirmed the government has temporarily closed its embassies in Nigerian cities of Abuja and Lagos after threats led to fears for staff safety, reported Reuters.
The latest development follows attacks on foreign-owned businesses in South Africa earlier this week. The violent clashes have killed at least five people in Johannesburg and Pretoria in recent days.
In an interview with Reuters, Pandor said South Africa was in constant contact with Nigerian authorities to try to restore peace in the country. She added that there was no provision in local law for compensation for damage caused in the attacks.
“There is an Afrophobia we are sensing that exists, there is resentment and we need to address that,” Pandor said on the sidelines of a continental economic conference in Cape Town.
The foreign ministry spokesman Lunga Ngqengelele said the decision to suspend operations at the two missions was made after a group of people came and tried to force themselves in at the Lagos consulate. He said the authorities will be monitoring the situation and will re-open the embassy when the situation restores back to normal.
Notably, security at embassies and foreign businesses in South Africa as well as Nigeria has been beefed up after deadly attacks on foreign-owned stores in Johannesburg triggered reprisals against South African businesses in Nigerian cities.
On Wednesday, South African companies MTN and Shoprite closed stores in Nigeria after the retaliatory attacks on their businesses.
The diplomatic relationship between the two countries has been strained, with Nigeria declaring it would boycott the World Economic Forum on Africa in Cape Town, which was to be attended by its vice president, Yemi Osinbajo. He was scheduled to address a panel on universal energy access on Thursday.
Nigeria also summoned the South African ambassador for talks on Tuesday and said President Muhammadu Buhari was sending an envoy to convey his displeasure to President Cyril Ramaphosa.
