RismadarVoice Reporters, May 21, 2026
Ghana has postponed the evacuation of more than 800 of its nationals from South Africa, the country’s Foreign Ministry announced Thursday, citing logistical and legal barriers that prevented the operation from proceeding as scheduled.
The evacuation was triggered by the viral spread of a video showing the alleged assault of Emmanuel Asamoah, a Ghanaian living in South Africa, amid a fresh wave of xenophobic violence against foreign nationals in the country. The footage drew widespread condemnation and prompted Accra to announce plans to bring its citizens home.
.
Thursday had been set as the departure date, but only one Ghanaian national turned up at Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport, according to reporters present at the scene.
The Foreign Ministry attributed the delay to the volume of evacuees and mandatory requirements imposed by South African authorities. “Considering the numbers involved and the South African legal conditions that have to be met, including mandatory passenger screening, multi-institutional coordination and flight permits, the planned evacuation has been deferred by a few days,” the ministry said in a statement.
Officials from both countries have agreed to accelerate the process.
The Ghanaian government has promised returning nationals a financial reintegration package and psychosocial support upon arrival. Asamoah, whose assault video set off the crisis, has already returned safely to Ghana.
The incident has renewed debate across Africa over xenophobia and migration, with Ghana pushing for the African Union to address the issue more decisively, arguing that repeated attacks on African migrants undermine continental integration goals, including free movement under the African Continental Free Trade Area framework.
