South Africa said Thursday it had temporarily closed its diplomatic missions in Nigeria following violence against South African businesses carried out in reprisal for attacks on foreign-owned stores in Johannesburg.
“After receiving reports and threats from some of the Nigerians we decided to temporarily close while we are assessing the situation,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lunga Ngqengelele said.
The embassy in Abuja and consulate in Lagos were shut on Wednesday, he said.
He said the decision was made to protect employees after “groups of people” tried to force their way into the Lagos consulate.
“We will be monitoring the situation,” said Mr. Ngqengelele. “When we see it necessary to open, we will re-open.”
Nigeria stepped up security on Wednesday after xenophobic violence in Johannesburg triggered reprisals against South African businesses in Nigerian cities.
South African telecoms giant MTN temporarily closed its Nigeria outlets on Wednesday after protesters attacked South African-owned firms in a number of cities.
Foreign workers are often victims of anti-immigrant sentiment in South Africa — the continent's second economy after Nigeria — where they compete against locals for jobs, particularly in low-skilled industries.
