By Patrick Biddah
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has reaffirmed the Government of Ghana’s unwavering commitment to protecting its citizens wherever they may be, declaring that the country will continue to demonstrate that the life of every Ghanaian matters.
He gave the assurance while welcoming the second batch of Ghanaian evacuees on Monday July 27th 2026 from South Africa at the Kotoka International Airport following recent xenophobic attacks in that country.
The returnees, who arrived wearing T-shirts embossed with images of President John Dramani Mahama and Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa as a gesture of appreciation, formed part of the second phase of the government’s evacuation exercise.
The latest group included children who had been caught up in the violence.
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Addressing the evacuees, Mr Ablakwa who is also the Member of Parliament for North Tongu said the Government of Ghana would continue to go the extra mile to rescue citizens facing danger abroad and ensure they were safely reunited with their families.
“We will continue to show the world that we value the lives of Ghanaians everywhere. Whenever Ghanaians find themselves in distress, we will do whatever it takes to rescue them, provide them with comfort and support and bring them home safely.
That is why the Foreign Ministry exists and why Ghana maintains embassies and high commissions across the world to protect Ghanaians and take them out of harm’s way,” he said.
The Minister disclosed that the second phase of the evacuation exercise targets close to 1,000 Ghanaians affected by the attacks.
He said more than 200 nationals had already been airlifted to Ghana, adding that comprehensive reintegration and resettlement plans had been secured to help them rebuild their lives.
He assured the returnees that government would support their reintegration, particularly those with professional skills and vocational expertise, through programmes that would enable them to restart their businesses and livelihoods.
He also said Ghana had constituted a legal team and petitioned the African Union to pursue compensation for citizens who lost properties, businesses and other valuable investments during the attacks.
Mr Ablakwa commended the Church of Pentecost for providing shelter, meals and other essential support services to stranded Ghanaians for more than two months while they awaited the completion of arrangements for their evacuation.
He described the Church’s intervention as a demonstration of compassion and patriotism during a difficult period.
The Minister further congratulated the returnees for upholding Ghana’s image in South Africa, revealing that all evacuees underwent security screening by the South African authorities before departure and that none was found to be on the country’s wanted list.
According to him, the outcome confirmed that Ghanaians living in South Africa are generally law-abiding citizens who respect the laws of their host country.
He noted that the same position had been affirmed by a special envoy of South African President Cyril Ramaphosa during recent engagements with President Mahama.
Mr Ablakwa urged the South African authorities to take decisive measures to address the recurring xenophobic attacks, saying the violence had damaged South Africa’s reputation and projected a negative image of the African continent.
He stressed that such attacks undermine the ideals of Pan-Africanism, African unity and regional integration and called on the South African government to restore order, protect foreign nationals and ensure that those responsible for the violence are brought to justice.
The Minister welcomed the evacuees home and assured them that the Government of Ghana would remain committed to safeguarding the welfare, dignity and rights of every Ghanaian, irrespective of where they may be in the world.
