Two Ghanaian nationals have petitioned the International Criminal Court to open a preliminary investigation into attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa, arguing the violence could amount to crimes against humanity, as Ghana's president repeated his call on Thursday for the African Union to address the ongoing unrest.
Issued on: 24/07/2026 - 10:58Modified: 24/07/2026 - 10:59
3 min Reading time
Submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on 15 July, the petition alleges a "pattern of widespread and systematic attacks" against migrants in South Africa and accuses President Cyril Ramaphosa's government of failing to prevent or punish those crimes. The petition was filed by Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, a former Ghanaian government spokesperson on governance and security, and Emmanuel Kotin, a counter-terrorism and security analyst. "For years, African brothers and sisters have been killed, beaten and driven from their homes in South Africa," they said in a press release. South Africa has been gripped by a surge in anti-immigrant protests in recent months, accompanied in some cases by violence against foreigners, whom protesters blame for problems such as crime and unemployment.
Zulu protesters in Durban on 30 June 2026. Thousands of demonstrators massed across South African cities on the same day to vent anger at undocumented foreign nationals, as police mounted a major operation to head off looting and xenophobic violence. © AFP - RAJESH JANTILAL
