S.Africa pushes Africa migration talks after xenophobic violence

Pretoria called Thursday for an Africa-wide conference to address migration on the continent after weeks of deadly anti-migrant violence and tensions over undocumented foreign workers in South Africa.

The meeting would revisit a decade-old African Union (AU) decision to tackle migration as an issue of economic development, regional integration, peace and governance, the foreign ministry said.

It would also address the root causes of anti-migrant sentiment and develop a continent-wide response to xenophobia, discrimination and violence.

"The need for this dialogue has become increasingly urgent. Migration is a continental phenomenon whose consequences extend beyond the jurisdiction of any single state," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"Although Africa has participated in discussions on migration with other regions of the world, the continent has yet to convene a comprehensive forum of its own at which member states can collectively examine Africa's migration challenges and opportunities."

South Africa, the continent's wealthiest nation, has long been a magnet for migrants.

But it has seen recurring bouts of anti-migrant violence for nearly two decades, with protests intensifying this year after vigilante groups ordered undocumented foreigners to leave by June 30.

More than 176,000 people have left in recent weeks, according to an AFP tally based on figures provided by African countries that have repatriated their nationals.

At least four migrants have been killed in the violence, according to the South African police, though some foreign governments say the death toll is higher.

Ghana, which has been an outspoken critic of the fatal attacks, has called an African Union debate on the anti-migrant violence at the next AU summit early next year.

Nigeria, which has also clashed diplomatically with South Africa over recurring attacks on its citizens, has likewise pushed to put the issue on the AU's agenda.

South Africa said the AU's executive council, which met this week in Ethiopia, decided not to include migration on the agenda for the bloc's mid-term review meeting in Egypt in October.