Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister Interacts With Returnees Repatriated From South Africa

• Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa received the second batch of Ghanaians repatriated from South Africa on Monday, July 27
• The 150 returnees landed at Accra International Airport as part of the government's voluntary repatriation programme following xenophobic attacks
• Ablakwa told the returnees they were never without a home or a government, urging them to see their return as a homecoming

Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa was at the Accra International Airport on Monday, July 27, to personally welcome 150 Ghanaians who arrived on the second batch of government-organised repatriation flights from South Africa.

The returnees came back under a voluntary evacuation programme launched in response to xenophobic attacks that have targeted foreign nationals in parts of South Africa, forcing many Ghanaians to abandon their homes and livelihoods.

Minister's emotional address to returnees

Speaking directly to the arrivals, the minister offered words of reassurance, telling the group they had never truly been without family, without a country, or without a government willing to stand for them.

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"You have never been orphaned, you have never been refugees, you have never been destitute. You are not people without a home, people without a country, people without a government. You have never been people who do not have loved ones back in Ghana," Ablakwa said.

"We are very honoured and privileged to welcome you, our brothers and sisters, back home. We give glory to the Almighty for bringing all of you back safely," he added.

The minister stressed that the government wanted the returnees to experience their arrival not as an act of defeat, but as a genuine homecoming, and pledged continued support for their welfare and reintegration.

Second phase of evacuations after xenophobic attacks

Ablakwa confirmed that this latest flight represents the second phase of a broader evacuation effort.

The first round, carried out a few months earlier, brought approximately 900 Ghanaians home from several South African provinces after widespread unrest left many sheltering in churches and community halls.

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"This is the second round of evacuations we are conducting. We did the first round a couple of months ago. We brought in about 900 Ghanaians from various provinces in South Africa who felt unsafe. Some of you came under attack, and some of you fled your homes to seek shelter," he said.

The Instagram post below features a video of Ghana's Foreign Affairs Minister interacting with returnees repatriated from South Africa.

Minister praises Pentecost for support in SA

The minister also singled out the Church of Pentecost in Pretoria and Johannesburg for praise, noting that both congregations suspended their regular services to open their premises as temporary shelters for Ghanaians awaiting evacuation.

"The Church of Pentecost demonstrated what Christ taught us and what it means to be Christ-like. They suspended church services and offered their premises to fleeing Ghanaians as shelter while awaiting the government's evacuation," Ablakwa said.

He conveyed gratitude from President John Dramani Mahama and the wider government for what he described as an outstanding act of humanitarian solidarity by the church.

The minister noted that persistent safety concerns in South Africa made a second round of voluntary repatriation both necessary and urgent, and indicated the government would continue monitoring the situation for Ghanaians who remain in the country.

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Ghanaians petition ICC to probe South Africa

Earlier, YEN.com.gh reported that two Ghanaians have taken the fight against xenophobic violence in South Africa to one of the world's highest legal stages, filing a formal petition with the International Criminal Court on July 15 calling for a preliminary investigation into repeated attacks on African migrants.

According to a report by Reuters, Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, a former Ghanaian government spokesperson on governance and security, and Emmanuel Kotin, a counter-terrorism and security analyst, submitted the petition.

The pair argue that the persistent targeting of foreign nationals living in South Africa has reached a scale and frequency that warrants international scrutiny.

Source: YEN.com.gh