Arabic version: جنوب أفريقيا ترفض التماساً لدى الجنائية الدولية بشأن الهجمات على المهاجرين

According to Allafrica, South Africa has dismissed as “opportunistic” a petition filed at the International Criminal Court by two Ghanaian nationals seeking an investigation into attacks on foreign migrants.

The petition submitted to the Hague-based court argued that the violence could amount to crimes against humanity. It also accused the South African government of failing to prevent and punish those responsible.

The Department of International Relations and Cooperation said the application did not meet the legal and jurisdictional conditions for ICC action. Spokesperson Chrispin Phiri said South Africa had confidence in its domestic legal framework.

Several African governments and the Economic Community of West African States have condemned the attacks. DIRCO said South Africa remained committed to dialogue with Ecowas on regional stability and migration management, while calling for broader African Union discussions on migration’s causes.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged public concerns about migration but condemned attacks against migrants and warned citizens not to take the law into their own hands. Repatriating governments estimate that more than 160,000 foreign nationals left South Africa in the past two months, with Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria and Ghana among countries arranging return transport.