Nigeria announced Sunday that two of its citizens were killed in South Africa last month amid escalating anti-immigrant sentiment and protests that have targeted African workers.
The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the two nationals died on June 28, two days prior to an unofficial deadline set by protesters for foreigners to leave the country. The ministry reported that one Nigerian was allegedly killed by police officers, while the other was attacked and killed by unidentified individuals.
South Africa has a history of violence fueled by resentment towards migrants. In 2008, anti-immigrant unrest led to over 60 deaths, an event international rights groups characterized as xenophobic attacks.
These recent killings occur at a time when foreigners are "unduly targeted" in South Africa, according to Nigerian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa. Ebienfa suggested that these events raise concerns about a "deliberate attempt by some elements to wrongfully generalise and tag well-meaning, hard-working, and respectable Nigerians as criminals."
In April and May, anti-immigrant protests saw participants blaming foreigners for high unemployment rates, crime, and strain on public services. These protests and subsequent attacks on Africans prompted Nigeria, Ghana, and Malawi to repatriate their citizens and summon South African diplomats.
Official comment from South African police was not immediately available.