Nigeria's Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has urged countries whose citizens were affected to table the appropriate motions at the African Union (AU). He also urged them to consider other measures, if the situation is allowed to continue unabated.

Obasanjo, who responded to the xenophobic crisis through a letter to the President of the Inkatha Freedom Party, Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi, on Monday, said that it was a great disservice to the continent and the black race, for any African country to encourage or allow or not seriously sanction xenophobia against Africans in their country.

The former president responding to Buthelezi’s letter dated September 11, which was made available to newsmen, through his Special Assistant Media, Kehinde Akinyemi in Abeokuta, declared that there was a “need for fence-mending, reconciliation, and wound-binding between South Africa and the countries whose citizens have been victims of xenophobia and acrophobia in South Africa.”

He submitted that South Africa should send emissaries to the countries concerned to explain, apologies and agree on the way forward for mutual understanding, accommodation, reconciliation, and binding the wound to promote unity, concord, and brotherhood in Africa.

He opined that repatriation of Nigerians from South Africa was neither a permanent solution, but palliative nor revenge desirable solutions.

He added that Nigeria and South Africa must stand together to champion African cause and to jointly shepherd African development, unity, cooperation, security, and progress to make the 21st century Africa’s century. He, however, charged the South African police and other law-enforcement agencies, to ensure they uphold the letter and spirit of the Constitution of South Africa.

Obasanjo, said the belief being touted that xenophobia will give South Africans jobs was a fallacy, pointing out xenophobia will rather make an investment in South Africa a little bit more difficult which will lead to a lack of job creation and loss of existing jobs