PEACE AND SECURITY COUNCIL 879TH MEETING

South Africa

Date | 11, September 2019
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

COMMUNIQUÉ

Adopted by the Peace and Security Council, under the Chairmanship of the Kingdom of Morocco, during its 879th meeting held on 11 September 2019 on acts of xenophobic violence against African migrants in South Africa.

The Peace and Security Council,

Noting the statement made by the Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa to the African Union, H.E. Ambassador Ndumiso Ntshinga, on the recent acts of xenophobic violence against other Africans in some of parts South Africa;

Recalling the previous decisions of the Council on xenophobic violence, in particular, the Press Statement PSC/PR/COMM.1 (DIII) adopted at its 503rd meeting held on 30 April 2015, in which the Council recommended the convening of a special session devoted to the issue of migration and its related challenges, with a view to enhancing African collective efforts to find comprehensive and lasting solutions to xenophobic violence;

Expressing sincere condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives as a result of the acts of xenophobic violence in some parts of South Africa, wishing quick recovery to those who have sustained injuries and expressing solidarity with the victims of recent acts of xenophobic violence in South Africa;

Reaffirming its commitment and readiness to continue supporting efforts by the Government of South Africa, in its resolved determination, to address this situation, through the promotion of African solutions to African problems, including the use of relevant AU principles;

Recalling all the relevant AU and international instruments, including the Universal Declaration on Human Rights and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, which guarantee their fundamental human rights, including freedom of movement;

Acting under Article 7 of its Protocol, the Peace and Security Council:

1. Condemns in the strongest terms possible the recent acts of xenophobic violence against foreign migrants living in South Africa, which cannot be justified under any circumstances; expresses total rejection of xenophobia in all its forms and manifestations across the Continent;

2. Also condemns in the strongest terms the reported cases of retaliatory violence against South African nationals and their properties in other countries within the Continent, and strongly appeals to the people and Governments of the countries concerned to exercise maximum restraint and avoid any action that could escalate the current situation;

3. Commends the Government of South Africa for its determination to prevent further escalation of the situation and urges the Government of South Africa, with all countries concerned, to take all necessary steps, in a collective manner, to holistically address the fundamental root causes of the acts of xenophobic violence; in this regard, underlines the fact that the recent events in South Africa, once again, stresses the urgency and need for the AU to take concrete steps in order to provide a collective and comprehensive response for durable solutions to address the issue of xenophobia at continental level, based on the need for enhanced coordination and cooperation,

4. Also commends all those Member States which are already working in close collaboration with the Government of South Africa in addressing the situation at hand and encourages all other Member States with nationals living in South Africa, to also engage and collaborate with the Government of South Africa.

5. In this regard, and in support to the on-going actions between the Governments of South Africa and concerned countries, underlines the necessity for all member States to support these actions and to contribute to preventing the escalation of the situation; and underlines also that social media should play a constructive role with a view to appeasing tensions in the communities;

6. Fully acknowledges the legitimate concerns of the people and Government of South Africa and the socio-economic challenges it faces, and the challenges faced in addressing the issue of undocumented migrants living in the country, urges the Government of South Africa and those countries concerned to provide protection for all foreign nationals and their properties from any form of attack, in conformity with AU and International instruments, notably the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families ;

7. Underscores the importance of holistically addressing the underlying fundamental root causes of xenophobia in Africa; and in this context, emphasizes the need for Member States to further enhance their national early warning and early response capacities, as well as to share experiences, lessons learnt and best practices in addressing xenophobia;

8. Stresses the need for enhanced coordination and cooperation, in particular between the countries of origin, transit countries and the host countries, in addressing the issue of irregular migration;

9. Requests the Chairperson of the AU Commission to fully engage the Government of South Africa on the recent acts of xenophobic violence, in order to assess the situation of African migrants in this country, including the measures taken by the Government of South Africa and urges the AU Commission to expedite the holding of a continental conference, in collaboration with all AU member States, that will serve as a platform for all AU Member States to thoroughly highlight the issue of xenophobia, including its root causes with a view to finding a collective continental approach on how best to prevent its recurrence on the continent; further requests AUC Chairperson to report on the conclusion of the Conference to the PSC and subsequently to the AU Assembly;

10. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.