JOHANNESBURG — African ambassadors and high commissioners boycotted South Africa’s official Africa Day celebrations on Sunday in a rare diplomatic protest against rising xenophobic hostility targeting African migrants and foreign nationals.
The move underscored growing frustration among several African governments over repeated attacks, intimidation and anti-immigrant rhetoric directed at migrants living in Africa’s most industrialized economy.
Diplomatic sources said envoys from a number of African countries declined to attend the event to signal concern over what they described as a worsening climate of fear for foreign Africans in South Africa. Nationals from countries including Nigeria, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Somalia, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of Congo have frequently reported harassment, discrimination and threats linked to anti-foreigner sentiment.
The boycott comes amid renewed pressure from nationalist and anti-immigration groups demanding tighter controls on undocumented migrants and accusing foreigners of contributing to unemployment, crime and pressure on public services. Several demonstrations in recent months have targeted migrant-owned businesses and informal settlements in parts of Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban.
While South African authorities have repeatedly condemned xenophobic violence and pledged to protect all residents regardless of nationality, critics say the government has struggled to curb recurring attacks and inflammatory rhetoric.
“Africa Day is meant to symbolize African unity, solidarity and shared progress,” one African diplomat said on condition of anonymity. “But many Africans living in South Africa continue to experience insecurity and exclusion.”
South Africa has long positioned itself as a leading advocate of Pan-Africanism and continental cooperation since the end of apartheid in 1994. However, periodic outbreaks of xenophobic violence over the past two decades have strained relations with several African states and sparked diplomatic tensions across the continent.
Political analysts warned that the diplomatic boycott could damage Pretoria’s image as a champion of African unity at a time when regional cooperation and economic integration remain central priorities for the African Union.
Africa Day, celebrated annually on May 25, marks the founding of the Organization of African Unity in 1963, the predecessor of the African.
