African leaders have been urged to move quickly to halt the rising tide of prejudice and xenophobia that threaten to undermine regional integration efforts on the continent.
Veteran international journalist and eminent pan-Africanist, Ben Asante made the call recently at an interaction with the media in Accra to mark his 75th anniversary.
Asante, whose career spans over five decades of unwavering dedication to African unity and development, made a passionate call on continental leaders to individually and collectively confront these biases head-on, warning that xenophobia and prejudice not only fuels conflict but also impedes economic progress and regional integration efforts.
Asante’s call comes against the backdrop of the recent Miss South Africa beauty pageant, and its implications for African unity.
Ms Adetshina was a finalist in this year’s Miss South Africa but pulled out after she found herself the target of a xenophobic backlash.
Despite being a South African citizen, South Africans questioned her eligibility because her father is Nigerian and her mother has Mozambican roots.
The situation threatened to degenerate after South Africa’s Home Affairs department investigated her at the behest of the Miss South Africa organisers and said Ms Adetshina’s mother may have committed “identity fraud” to get South African nationality.
Thereafter, Ms Adetshina made the “difficult decision” to leave the competition for her family’s safety and well-being.
Asante lamented that such instances of nationalistic fervor and prejudice not only strain inter-country relations but also jeopardize the broader goals of African integration.
But perhaps, even more importantly, the Ms. Adetshina-Miss South Africa saga, however, once again exposed the ugly underbelly of disunity in Africa and highlights the danger and challenge posed by xenophobia and prejudice to the continent’s socio-economic developmental efforts.
For instance, in west Africa, Ghana-Nigeria relations have been plagued by historic prejudices, marked by both rich cultural exchanges and longstanding misunderstandings, stemming from issues around trade imbalances, economic competition, and migration. The two countries have occasionally experienced xenophobic sentiments, especially concerning the migration of Nigerians into Ghana and vice versa.
A similar discord swelters between Kenya and Uganda where prejudice fueled by ethnic rivalries and competition over resources as well as incidents of cross-border conflicts and misunderstandings continue to exacerbated tension.
Still in east Africa, Tanzania and Kenya, despite sharing strong cultural and historical ties, have been plagued by instances of prejudice and tension, often driven by competition for resources and political influence.
Additionally, in southern Africa, relations between South Africa and Zimbabwe have been strained by issues such as migration and economic policies. South Africa has seen episodes of xenophobic violence targeting Zimbabweans, specifically, and other Africans, generally, which reflects underlying prejudices.
Relations between Morocco and Algeria have equally been marked by historical disputes over territory and differing political alignments. Mutual prejudices between both countries have been exacerbated by these long-standing tensions, including the Western Sahara conflict.
Also, the historical conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea, culminating in a brutal border war from 1998 to 2000, has left a legacy of mutual distrust and prejudice, though recent peace efforts have aimed to address these issues.
Read also: Top 10 African leaders with the best performance
Meanwhile, xenophobia and prejudice continue to exact massive economic toll on Africa.
According to recent estimates by the African Development Bank (AfDB), intra-African trade, which is crucial for the continent’s economic integration, has been curtailed by about $10 billion annually due to trade barriers fueled by prejudice. These barriers lead to reduced market access for businesses and hinder the ability of companies to achieve economies of scale.
Relatedly, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) reports a $4 billion decrease in FDI inflows to Africa compared to previous years. This decline is attributed to concerns about xenophobic violence and the safety of expatriate staff, which undermines investor confidence and hampers economic growth.
Further, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) estimates that Africa’s tourism industry lost approximately $2.5 billion due to a drop in tourist arrivals. Negative media coverage of xenophobic violence and travel advisories issued by foreign governments have deterred potential tourists, affecting hotel occupancy rates, airline revenues, and local businesses dependent on tourist spending.
Similarly, the International Labour Organization (ILO) has highlighted that prejudice-related labor market constraints cost African economies an estimated $3 billion annually. These constraints hinder the continent’s ability to attract and retain top talent, affecting overall economic competitiveness.
Additionally, it is estimated that African governments have so far spent around $1.5 billion on security measures and conflict resolution related to xenophobic violence. This expenditure detracts from investments in essential infrastructure and social services, further impeding economic development.
Also, the African Union estimates that the economic benefits of AfCFTA are reduced by approximately $5 billion annually due to the negative impact of xenophobia on cross-border trade and cooperation. This loss reflects both the direct financial costs and the missed opportunities for economic synergy and growth.
Asante called for a renewed commitment to the African Union’s vision of a united continent, free from the shackles of historical grievances and prejudices.
“The cost of prejudice and xenophobia is not merely social but deeply economic. When nations allow these issues to fester, they hinder trade, disrupt diplomatic relations, and stifle the collective growth that Africa so urgently needs. We are witnessing a dangerous resurgence of xenophobic sentiments and prejudicial attitudes. These challenges are not isolated but part of a larger pattern that threatens the very fabric of our continent’s unity, African leaders must move beyond our past and embrace a future where our diversity is celebrated rather than used as a tool for division. Our leaders must remember that our strength lies in our unity. It is through solidarity that we can overcome our challenges and achieve sustainable development,” Asante asserted.
A former war correspondent who has reported and commented extensively on politics and social development across the African continent for over fifty years, Asante’s works have been published within and outside Africa.
He was at the frontlines during the Liberian and Sierra Leonean civil wars, where he is credited with breaking many of the major news headlines from both wars, including the actual outbreak of the Liberian civil war in 1990. With his close friend and associate, renowned journalist Lindsay Barrett, Asante is recognised for his gallantry in Liberia and Sierra Leone civil wars, where his reports became very reliable sources of information on the war for the global press.
Born in Keta, in the Volta region of Ghana in 1949, he attended the Evangelical Presbyterian Primary School in Ho, also in the Volta region. He completed middle school at Mawuli Secondary school, In Ho. It was while in middle school that Asante had his first introduction to ideological politics when he joined the Nkrumahist youth mobilisation movement known as the Young Pioneers Movement. This was a period when the socialist/nationalist and pan-African views of Kwame Nkrumah was sweeping through Ghana and the African continent.
Nkrumah’s fiery personality, accompanied by his great oratorical skills, coupled with his animated expressions during public rallies made him an instant celebrity with the masses, Asante remembers about that period.
“Nkrumah’s genius for mass mobilisation witnessed the establishment of these movements that were aimed at enduing young nationalists with a broader appreciation for the philosophical foundations of nation-building. The Young Pioneer movement was made up of some of the brightest students across Ghana, and they were sponsored on trips across Ghana to spread the nationalist doctrine amongst their peers,” he said.
As a bright student in his secondary school, Asante became one of the leaders of the Young Pioneers Movement there. This offered him the opportunity to make his first trip abroad as a member of the Ghana government’s delegation of students to Czechoslovakia in 1965.
Involvement with the Young Pioneer also opened the door for Asante to membership of the International Students Movement of the United Nations, ISMUN. He was elected ISMUN’s first regional secretary for Africa in Ile-Ife, Nigeria in 1971. He subsequently left for Kenya to work at the ISMUN Africa regional office in Nairobi from 1972-1978, disseminating information on the UN and African issues like apartheid in the then South Africa, liberation movements and human rights. He also reflected the voice of African youth on such matters as the environment and population by organising seminars and workshops within countries and on regional basis; and, attended crucial OAU (now AU) summits and served on the OAU bureau for refugees, based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
It was while in Nairobi that Asante, in 1976, attended the School of Journalism at the University of Nairobi, graduating in 1978; and which milestone also commenced his gradual shift from student activism to professional journalism.
With his base in the United Kingdom, Asante was at different times political editor of some of the leading influential pan-African publications based in London, including Africa Now and New African magazines. He also wrote for West Africa magazine out of London. Regarded as a veteran and versatile journalist around media and political circles in Africa and Europe, he traveled around most African countries covering events and conferences. He is considered knowledgeable on Nigerian politics, having spent years in the country as well as working on ECOWAS issues, including the civil wars in Liberia and Sierra Leone. Asante is regarded in ECOWAS circles as one of two journalists whose writings shaped the bloc’s views on the civil wars, especially on Liberia.
Passionate about the Sudanese condition, Asante was, similarly, part of the first Southern Sudan resettlement conference, under the late Emperor Haile Selassie. Indeed, the plight of the people of South Sudan, and current conditions in Africa generally, remain some of the main reasons for his continued commitment to writing on African issues.
Africans, Asante advised, have the collective responsibility to build bridges rather than walls.
“In an age where our shared African identity should be our greatest strength, we cannot allow prejudice to undermine the significant strides we have made in regional integration. The recent wave of xenophobia is alarming and must not be tolerated. We are more powerful together, and we cannot allow individual actions to jeopardise the progress that unification promises,” Asante said.
