A wave of anti-immigrant protests sweeps South Africa; Liberian citizens plead for help to leave.
Ahmed Salem
Citizens in South Africa began anti-foreigner protests in several cities across the country this morning, while Liberian citizens are appealing to their government to repatriate them.
The Liberian government has launched an emergency voluntary repatriation initiative to bring back 29 Liberians from South Africa, following growing security concerns and a final warning issued on June 30 by protesters demanding that undocumented foreigners leave the country.
This process is being carried out in joint coordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Liberian Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission, and the Liberian Embassy in Pretoria; the procedures include issuing emergency travel documents and cooperating with South African authorities to ensure safe departure and avoid arrests.
With 263 Liberians registered in South Africa, officials say they are closely monitoring the situation and are in contact with Liberian communities in major cities. They are urging citizens to remain calm and stay in touch with the embassy, as concerns continue to rise about a recurrence of xenophobic violence.
South Africa repatriates 8,000 foreigners in two weeks
In the same context, she ended South Africa More than 15,000 Malawian citizens are in the process of leaving the country, while thousands more are waiting in temporary camps, as authorities work to repatriate foreign nationals before the unofficial June 30 deadline set by citizen-led groups.
The planned nationwide marches have raised fears of renewed xenophobic violence, following weeks of unrest that have already left several people dead.
Countries including Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo are helping their citizens return home voluntarily.
At the Beit Bridge border crossing alone, more than 8,200 foreign nationals were repatriated in less than two weeks, including nearly 6,700 Malawian nationals.
South African officials condemned the militia-like violence, warning that civilians cannot enforce immigration laws.
These tensions come just months before local council elections and bring back memories of the bloody racist attacks of 2008 that killed 62 people.
With the marches scheduled for June 30, security forces remain on high alert as the country prepares for what could be another volatile chapter.
