NIGERIA-SOUTH AFRICA: Mending the Fences

By Toye Olori Reprint | | Print |

Toye Olori

LAGOS, Sep 22 1997 (IPS) - Diplomatic relations between Nigeria and South Africa have been at a low ebb since 1995 when Nigeria’s military government executed playwright Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight other minority rights activists.

Of late, however, the governments of the two countries have begun moves to normalise their frosty relations.

Nigerian Foreign Minister Tom Ikimi travelled to South Africa at the start of the month and South African Vice President Thabo Mbeki was to have visited Nigeria last Wednesday. The visit was postponed, but that has not doused hopes here for a thaw.

A source at the Foreign Affairs Office in Abuja told IPS by phone that the Nigerian government was still eager to improve ties with South Africa ahead of a Commonwealth summit billed for October in Edinburgh.

Nigeria, which was suspended from the body following the 1995 executions, is expected to be on the summit’s agenda.

“Government has not changed its position on the visit. The visit has only been rescheduled at the insistence of the South African government,” said the source, who did not want his name published. “Nigeria still wants him. We invited him and he graciously accepted our invitation, but because of other pressing matters, we have to work out a new arrangement.”

During his visit to South Africa, Ikimi had said that relations between the two countries were cordial, contrary to the false picture external forces attempted to paint.

“My visit should send the right signal to the world that Nigeria and South Africa have nothing against each other,” Ikimi said on arrival in Johannesburg Sept 1.

“Nigeria and South Africa have always had a good relationship, although detractors of both countries are bent on deceiving the world about the level of relations,” he added. “Even the best of friends could disagree on issues sometimes but they remain friends.”

Ikimi urged both countries to work together for the development of the continent and bring lasting peace to its trouble spots.

Nigeria is sub-Saharan Africa’s most populous country, while South Africa is its most powerful economy. Both could have been leading the democratisation of the continent had the Nigerian military not annulled presidential polls held in 1993 and believed to have been the freest and fairest in the history of Nigeria.

The presumed winner of the 1993 election, Moshood Abiola, has been in detention since mid-1994. He is one of many political prisoners in the West African nation, which has almost become an international pariah because of alleged human rights violations by the military government.

Following the execution of Saro-Wiwa and the other minority rights activists despite appeals by Commonwealth Ministers at a meeting in Auckland, New Zealand, South Africa and Zimbabwe led a campaign for the expulsion of Nigeria from the Commonwealth.

However, the multinational body opted for a suspension.

South Africa and Zimbabwe had also called for the imposition of sanctions on the government: President Mandela was reported to have said that Nigeria’s Gen. Sani Abacha was leading an “irresponsible government that has no respect for civilised international opinion”. Abacha reportedly retorted that, because of the years Mandela spent in prison on Robben Island, he had lost touch with “current global political trends”.

The diplomatic row worsened when South Africa recalled its envoy from Lagos and withdrew an invitation to Nigeria to participate in a four-nation football tournament in Johannesburg. Abuja retaliated by boycotting the 1996 African Nations Cup in South Africa.

The South African envoy returned to his post in February last year, but a fresh diplomatic row almost erupted in July when Pretoria demanded an apology from Abuja over an unguarded statement by Nigeria’s Information Minister Walter Ofonagoro.

Ofonagoro was quoted as describing South Africa as “a white country with a black president” at the opening of a forum of the Nigerian Guild of Editors. He later denied making the statement.

The row was averted when two envoys from Abacha met President Mandela over the issue and others matters affecting Africa. Sources close to Abuja say Ofonagoro has since been sanctioned by the Armed Forces Ruling Council, Nigeria’s highest ruling body.

Against this background, Ikimi’s trip to South Africa was of major significance to Abuja. Mbeki’s visit, if it does materialise, could further narrow down the still wide gap between the two nations.