SA Evacuation: Ablakwa Reveals Other Counterparts Are Studying Ghana’s Airlift Strategy
A number of foreign affairs ministers from other African nations have reached out to consult the Ghanaian government on the strategic blueprint used to execute its emergency airlift of citizens from South Africa, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has revealed.
The peer consultation comes on the back of Ghana's highly successful and proactive humanitarian intervention, which has seen hundreds of its citizens rescued from the centre of raging anti-immigrant hostilities and xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
Mr Ablakwa disclosed on Saturday night, June 6, 2026, while personally interacting with the second batch of 345 Ghanaian evacuees immediately after their rescue flight touched down safely at the Accra International Airport.
Addressing the visibly relieved but heavily traumatised returnees, Mr Ablakwa emphasised that the state placed a premium value on the lives of its diaspora community. He noted that while other sovereign nations were still evaluating their options, Ghana deployed resources to evacuate its people from danger immediately.
Refusing to allow the evacuees to sink into despair over lost property and disrupted livelihoods, the minister offered words of reassurance: “Once you have life, there is hope,” Mr Ablakwa comforted the returnees. “So don't be worried at all. You have seen what has happened to other nationals.”
He further illustrated the grim reality on the ground by contrasting Ghana's efforts with official updates coming from other sub-Saharan governments whose citizens have been caught in the crossfire of the anti-foreigner riots.
“I have read a statement issued by the government of Mozambique stating that they have lost five of their nationals. I've read the statement from the Nigerian government and the statement from the Malawian government. We have acted with expedition, and we have been able to airlift our nationals from harm's way,” the minister stated authoritatively.
The rapid operational turnaround achieved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, working in tandem with Ghana’s diplomatic mission in Pretoria and international aviation partners, has turned the country into a reference point for emergency crisis management on the continent.
According to the minister, peer nations are eager to understand how Ghana bypassed the immense logistical and administrative bottlenecks that typically slow down international evacuations.
“A number of colleague foreign ministers have called to consult about how Ghana did it,” Mr Ablakwa revealed, underlining the continent-wide admiration for the state's decisive action.
The arriving evacuees were taken through emergency immigration clearing, offered hot meals, and provided with initial psychosocial support by state counsellors to help them process the trauma of fleeing their homes.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed that the emergency evacuation pipeline remains open.
With a third flight scheduled to arrive on Sunday, June 7, the government says it will not slow down its efforts until Ghanaian nationals seeking shelter from the South African xenophobic wave are brought home to safety.
Click the link Puretvonline.com | WhatsApp Channel to join the WhatsApp channel
GOT A STORY?
Contact/WhatsApp: +233243201960 or manuelnkansah33@gmail.com
