Regional lawmakers raise alarm over safety of citizens across West Africa and in South Africa
The ECOWAS Parliament has directed an investigation into rising terrorist attacks across the sub-region and a surge in xenophobic violence targeting African migrants in South Africa.
The decision was taken during plenary at the First 2026 Ordinary Session held in Abuja on Tuesday, following a motion by Ghanaian lawmaker Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the parliament’s third deputy speaker.
Describing the situation as a matter of “urgent direct and profound importance,” Afenyo-Markin urged regional lawmakers to confront what he said was a growing threat to the safety of West African citizens both within the bloc and beyond.
The parliament subsequently mandated its Committee on Political Affairs to investigate recent attacks, particularly in Mali and Burkina Faso, as well as incidents of xenophobic violence in South Africa affecting nationals from ECOWAS member states.
Citing Rule 71 of the Parliament, Afenyo-Markin stressed the need for accountability and stronger protective measures. “A regional community that cannot protect its own citizens in transit has not yet earned its name,” he said.
He referenced a February 14 attack in northern Burkina Faso, where militants linked to al-Qaeda reportedly intercepted a truck carrying 18 Ghanaian traders. According to him, the attackers separated the victims before killing them and setting the vehicle ablaze.
“These were not statistics. They were breadwinners, fathers and sons, the quiet engines of the regional supply chain that feeds our markets,” he said.
The lawmaker also cited an April 25 attack in Mali that he said claimed the life of Defence Minister Gen. Sadio Camara, adding that the incident had disrupted trade routes between Ghana and Mali. Ghana’s foreign ministry, he noted, had indicated it could no longer guarantee the safety of travellers along that corridor.
Afenyo-Markin criticised what he described as gaps in the implementation of the bloc’s 1979 Free Movement Protocol, arguing that national policies often undermine regional commitments and expose citizens to harassment at borders.
“The daily reality of our citizens contradicts the promise at every turn,” he said.
He further drew attention to recent xenophobic attacks in parts of South Africa, including KwaZulu-Natal, Cape Town and Pretoria, where migrants from Ghana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia were reportedly targeted, with incidents of killings, displacement and looting.
While acknowledging remarks by South African President Cyril Ramaphosa condemning the violence, Afenyo-Markin said stronger, concrete action was required.
“Words delivered from a ceremonial platform do not arrest a single perpetrator,” he said. “The safety of our people must never be a matter open to devastation.”
He called on the South African government to conduct thorough and transparent investigations and ensure prosecutions where necessary. The motion also proposed formal communication with South Africa’s parliament and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights for further action.
The move underscores mounting concern among regional lawmakers over security and the protection of citizens, as ECOWAS faces growing pressure to uphold its commitments to free movement and collective safety.
