The National Assembly has suspended all official visits to South Africa and directed lawmakers to boycott conferences and other events hosted or co-hosted by the country in the latest move escalating the diplomatic row between both nations amid alleged xenophobic attacks against Nigerians.
“National Assembly has resolved that, with immediate effect and until further notice: all official visits to the Republic of South Africa by the National Assembly, its committees, lawmakers, officials and staff are hereby suspended,” a directive dated August 27 stated.
The directive, according to the National Assembly, follows months of engaging the South African government to fish out perpetrators of violence against Nigerian nationals. Given no meaningful action has been taken to arrest those involved, the Nigerian parliament extended the boycott to all virtual and physical meetings organised, sponsored or co-hosted by the South African government.
“All participation by the National Assembly, its committees, lawmakers, officials and staff in legislative activities, conferences, seminars, workshops, meetings, exchanges or other engagements organised, hosted, sponsored or co-sponsored by the parliament of the Republic of South Africa or other South African legislative authorities is hereby suspended,” the directive stated.
NASS clerk Kamoru Ogunlana noted that the suspension “shall apply to both physical and virtual/online engagements, including invitations to participate in meetings, programmes, parliamentary exchanges and other legislative activities hosted from or by South African legislative institutions”.
The directive stated that the suspension remains indefinite until further notice.
Hundreds of Nigerians have been repatriated from South Africa following deadly xenophobic attacks unleashed on them.