Nigeria’s decision to recall top diplomat regrettable – SA government

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Xenophobic
xenophobic

Nigeria’s decision to recall its acting high commissioner to South Africa was “unfortunate and regrettable”, the South African government said on Saturday.
XenophobicThe South African government “takes note” that the outgoing Nigerian government has recalled its acting high commissioner to South Africa, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) said in a statement.
The Nigerian government made the decision on Friday in protest against the latest wave of xenophobia violence in parts of South Africa.
“A government resorts to such an extraordinary diplomatic step to express outrage at actions or behaviour of another government,” DIRCO spokesperson Clayson Monyela said.
“We are not sure which actions or behaviour of the South African Government the Nigerian Government is protesting. It is only Nigeria that has taken this unfortunate and regrettable step, ” Monyela said.
If this action is based on the incidents of attacks on foreign nationals in some parts of South Africa, it would be curious for a sisterly country to want to exploit such a painful episode for whatever agenda, said Monyela.
SA Deputy President Cyril Ramaphosa has just returned from Indonesia to attend the Africa-Asia Summit and the 60th Anniversary of the historic Bandung Conference. At no stage did the Nigerian delegation present at that gathering, expressed its intention to formally raise the issue with the South African side, Monyela said.
South Africa remains committed to a strong bond of friendship and bilateral relations with Nigeria, he noted.
” It is for this reason that when 84 of our citizens perished on Nigerian soil, we did not blame the Nigerian Government for the deaths and more than nine months delay in the repatriation of the bodies of our fallen compatriots, or for the fact that when these bodies eventually returned, they were in a state that they could not be touched or viewed as required by our burial practice.”
Monyela was referring to the building collapse in Lagos on September 12 last year, in which a total of 116 people, among them 84 South Africans, were killed.
“We will raise our concerns through diplomatic channels with the new administration that will assume office in Nigeria next month,” said Monyela.
The South African government, as well as the whole society have been decisive and unequivocal in condemning and rejecting the attacks on foreign nationals, Monyela said.
“Through our interventions, relative calm and order has been restored. We are encouraged by the solidarity our country continues to receive from other African countries and the international community.”
“We shall also continue to support and not blame the Nigerian Government as it battles to deal with Boko Haram that continues to kill many innocent civilians.” Enditem

Source: Xinhua

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