JOHANNESBURG: South Africa has closed its diplomatic missions in Nigeria, underscoring the growing strain between Africa’s two largest economies after the latest wave of xenophobic violence in South Africa, the Department of International Relations and Cooperation said on Thursday.

The department said that while there had been “no direct physical threat” to any diplomats or staff, the situation remained “somewhat unpredictable” and there were sufficient safety concerns to close the offices in Lagos and Abuja on Tuesday.

On Sunday, violent mobs began looting and setting fire to foreign-owned businesses in several areas of Johannesburg and the South African capitol Pretoria. At least 10 people died, including two foreigners, scores of shops have been looted and burned, and more than 400 people have been arrested in connection with the violence since Sunday.

South Africa’s president Cyril Ramaphosa condemned the attacks. “Over the past few days, our country has been deeply traumatised by acts of violence and criminality directed against foreign nationals and our own citizens,” he said in a video statement on Thursday. “There can be no excuse for the attacks on the homes and businesses of foreign nationals, just as there can be no excuse for xenophobia or any other form of intolerance.”

Published in Dawn, September 6th, 2019