Door Not Shut On South Africa Evacuations – Foreign Minister Assures Ghanaians

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has assured that Ghana will not hesitate to evacuate its nationals from South Africa again if their lives are further threatened.

According to the Minister, even though the government has wrapped up and accounted for the recent evacuation exercise from South Africa, the door is not shut on future interventions should the situation deteriorate.

He gave the assurance in a one-on-one interview on Key Points, a TV3 talk show, on October 10, 2026, while reacting to concerns over renewed tensions in South Africa following a decision of its apex court on the rights of asylum seekers.

“The Consular and Humanitarian Bureau (COHAB) of the Foreign Ministry continues to be active, and continues to assess every situation, particularly situations of Ghanaians in distress. And I watch that space very closely. It is one of my priority pillars,” Mr Ablakwa said.

“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,” he stressed.

The Minister’s assurance comes on the same day the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria issued a security advisory urging Ghanaians in Johannesburg, Durban and surrounding areas to avoid protest locations and limit movement to CBD areas over ongoing protest activities.

Mr Ablakwa said the Ministry’s commitment to its consular responsibility remains firm, citing recent evacuations from other countries.

“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,” he stated.

He added, “The Consular and Humanitarian Bureau of the Ministry remains very active, and we are assessing 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.”

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