ACCRA, Aug. 15– The Ghanaian government has categorically rejected the claims that it owed the South African government any fees for the evacuation of Ghanaian nationals from that country due to the ongoing xenophobic attacks in that country.
A statement from the foreign ministry late Thursday said the Ghanaian government had taken notice of the South African government’s demand for reimbursement of 18 million U.S. dollars from several African countries for the support and facilitation it had extended to them in the evacuation of fellow Africans from their country.
“The evacuation of all our compatriots was fully funded by the government of Ghana and our Ghanaian partners. Ghana did not seek any financial or material support from the South African government to bring our fellow nationals back home,” the statement highlighted.
The statement assured Ghanaians that “under no circumstances will Ghana be listed among the countries being requested by the government of South Africa to reimburse the cost incurred in repatriating foreign nationals.”
The ongoing evacuation, which commenced in May, has, so far, brought 1,600 Ghanaians back home, according to the foreign ministry. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
