Betrayed in a Friendly Land: Nigerians Condemn Xenophobic Violence in South Africa

I see Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar echoing today as Nigerians face cruel xenophobic violence in South Africa. Two compatriots have died after alleged beatings by SANDF personnel, while countless others suffer discrimination and abuse. Children are turned away from schools, patients denied hospital care and shoppers forced out of stores. Homes are raided, shops ransacked and Nigerians beaten or humiliated in the streets—even when their papers are in order. Nigeria once stood shoulder to shoulder with South Africa against apartheid, funding the ANC and welcoming its leaders. We remember Nelson Mandela’s gratitude and our own protests abroad. That history calls on both nations to renew respect and protect every African citizen. I write as a private individual, urging the South African government to secure the lives and property of our people. Our two largest economies must unite for peace and uphold the fraternity that once bound us.

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