Two Ghanaian nationals have petitioned the International Criminal Court to open a preliminary investigation into attacks on foreign nationals in South Africa, arguing the violence could amount to crimes against humanity, as Ghana’s president repeated his call on Thursday for the African Union to address the ongoing unrest.

Submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC) on 15 July, the petition alleges a “pattern of widespread and systematic attacks” against migrants in South Africa and accuses President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government of failing to prevent or punish those crimes.

The petition was filed by Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, a former Ghanaian government spokesperson on governance and security, and Emmanuel Kotin, a counter-terrorism and security analyst.

“For years, African brothers and sisters have been killed, beaten and driven from their homes in South Africa,” they said in a press release.

South Africa has been gripped by a surge in anti-immigrant protests in recent months, accompanied in some cases by violence against foreigners, whom protesters blame for problems such as crime and unemployment.

Several African migrants have been killed in the unrest, while others have been beaten and have seen their homes and shops looted. Tens of thousands have fled the country.

Ghana’s President John Mahama on Thursday reiterated his call for the African Union (AU) to address the wave of anti-immigrant violence, which he said was “escalating”.

“Sweeping the matter under the carpet will not resolve the root causes,” the President said, adding that he had secured a commitment to discuss the topic at the next AU summit.

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