Falana Petitions African Court Over South Africa Xenophobic Killings

Femi Falana, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has petitioned the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights demanding urgent intervention and referral to the African Court over systemic xenophobic violence in South Africa. The petition documents a pattern of killings, torture, and forced displacement targeting Nigerians and other African nationals, arguing South Africa has violated its obligations under the African Charter.

Falana cites the April 2026 deaths of Nigerians Amaramiro Emmanuel and Ekpenyong Andrew, allegedly killed by South African National Defence Force personnel. Emmanuel was killed in an unspecified location, while Andrew was arrested in Pretoria and subsequently died. The petition also references May 2026 videos showing mob attacks across Gauteng, Durban, Cape Town, East London, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Eastern Cape.

While the South African government previously apologized for xenophobic attacks, Falana accuses President Cyril Ramaphosa of denying current violence and failing to direct security forces to prosecute perpetrators. The Nigerian Consulate-General in Johannesburg confirmed the two deaths.

In response to the ongoing insecurity, Ghana announced the repatriation of 300 nationals, and the Nigerian government offered repatriation for its citizens at their own expense. The petition seeks binding adjudication from the African Court to compel South Africa to protect migrants and hold attackers accountable.