Lagos - Nigeria is recalling its top diplomats in South Africa because of “ongoing xenophobia targeting foreigners”.
Nigeria’s ambassador in Pretoria, and the consul general in Johannesburg, will return to Nigeria for consultations.
A Nigerian government statement noted that some South Africans had organised peace marches and that President Jacob Zuma had condemned the attacks.
Nigerian legislators have called for the South African government to pay damages and a Nigerian rights group has complained to the International Criminal Court.
The South African government, calling the Nigerian government’s action “an unfortunate and regrettable step”, said it and a wide range of civic organisations had been “decisive and unequivocal in condemning and rejecting the attacks on foreign nationals”.
Al Jazeera reported that the statement by South Africa’s Department of International Cooperation and Cooperation went on to deride the Nigerian government over its inability to rein in the Boko Haram insurgency in the north of its country.
It also pointed out that South Africa did not blame the Nigerian government for mishandling the aftermath of the collapse of a church building last year, which left 84 South Africans dead.
ANA-AP