&w=1440&q=75)
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa highlights Ghana's swift evacuation of citizens from South Africa following recent xenophobic attacks.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa says Ghana’s guiding principle in protecting citizens abroad is: “When you touch one Ghanaian, you touch all of us.”
He said Ghana swiftly evacuated citizens who felt unsafe during xenophobic attacks in South Africa, including some who sought refuge at Ghana’s diplomatic mission and a Church of Pentecost facility.
Ablakwa said the government takes its consular responsibilities seriously and will mobilise to protect Ghanaians abroad facing threats.
Foreign Affairs Minister Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has said Ghana will continue to prioritise the safety and welfare of its citizens abroad, stressing that any attack on a Ghanaian is a concern for the entire country.
He said the principle guiding the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in protecting Ghanaians overseas is: “When you touch one Ghanaian, you touch all of us.”
Ablakwa made the remarks during a one-on-one interview on TV3’s The Key Points on October 10, 2026, while explaining the government’s decision to evacuate Ghanaians who felt unsafe amid xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
According to the minister, although South Africa has experienced several waves of xenophobic attacks, the recent evacuation marked the first time Ghana had acted so swiftly to bring its citizens out of harm’s way.
“There have been many waves of these xenophobic attacks, but this was the first time that the government of Ghana had acted so swiftly to take our citizens out of harm’s way,” he said.
He explained that the evacuation focused on Ghanaians who felt threatened, had come under attack or had fled their homes because of the situation.
Some of the affected citizens, he said, had sought refuge at Ghana’s diplomatic mission and a Church of Pentecost facility before being brought back to Ghana.
Ablakwa added that Ghana was the first country to evacuate its citizens in response to the situation, noting that the government brought home those who voluntarily registered for the exercise.
He said the evacuation reflected the government’s commitment to its consular responsibilities and its duty to protect citizens facing threats outside the country.
“We take our consular responsibilities very seriously, and our motto at the Ministry when it comes to these matters is that ‘when you touch one Ghanaian, you touch all of us’,” he said.
The minister reiterated that the government would mobilise to protect Ghanaians abroad whenever their safety was threatened.
“Any attack on a Ghanaian anywhere in the world is an attack on all of us, and we will immediately mobilise and get our citizens out of harm’s way,” he added.