DOOR NOT SHUT FOR EVACUATIONS FROM SOUTH AFRICA, IF LIFE IS FURTHER THREATENED

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Honourable Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has stated that, the door is not shut on evacuations from South Africa; if life is further threatened, Ghana will move in swiftly.

He made this known in a one-on-one interview, in a reaction to concerns about recent developments in South Africa about renewed tensions a decision of its apex court on the rights of asylum seekers in that country, and whether the Ministry will resume evacuations, having already wrapped up the exercise.

The Minister gave an assurance that, “the Consular and Humanitarian Bureau (COHAB) of the Foreign Ministry continues to be active, and continues to access every situation, particularly situation of Ghanaians in distress. And I watch that space very closely.

It is one of my priority pillars. So even though the recent evacuations from South Africa, we wrapped up and accounted to the Ghanaian public, it does not mean that if we have another wave of attacks, a deterioration of the situation, and there are Ghanaians who need assistance, it does not mean that the door is shut and that we will not move in”.

To demonstrate the Ministry’s firm commitment to its consular responsibility, the Minister further stated that, “ indeed, after South Africa we have evacuated Ghanaians from Libya, from Myanmar, from Cambodia. So, we are very active in that space, and more than 6,300 Ghanaians have been evacuated since last year in various distress situations across the world”.

The Minister stressed that, “the Consular and Humanitarian Bureau of the Ministry remains very active, and we are accessing the situation in South Africa, and all around, in Libya, Cambodia, among others.

The Bureau and all our 72 Missions across the world are very active and are making sure that within their jurisdiction and where they have concurrent accreditation, they are keeping an eye on Ghanaians in those jurisdictions, and if we have to step in and intervene and bring our nationals back home to safety, we will do that swiftly”.