ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Ethiopian government on Thursday urged the South African government to give the necessary protection for Ethiopian nationals residing in South Africa amid recent attacks on foreigners.
The urgent call was made by Ethiopia's State Minister of Foreign Affairs Hirut Zemene during her meeting with the South African Ambassador to Ethiopia, Ndumiso Ndima Ntshinga, in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.
During the meeting, Zemene also condemned the recent attacks on fellow Africans, including Ethiopians as well as the looting of foreign-owned properties in South Africa, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
Zemene, expressing her "deep sadness" by the recent incidents in South Africa, further "urged the South African government to provide the necessary protection for Ethiopians residing in South Africa," the statement read.
According to the ministry, the South African Ambassador also underscored that the recent violent incidents in South Africa are "totally unacceptable and saddening."
"I believe that things will return back again to normalcy as the government has attached due attention to the problem," the statement quoted Ntshinga as saying.
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) had also condemned "the heinous act of violence and looting of properties perpetrated against foreigners including our citizens in South Africa."
"We are encouraged by the statement of President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, denouncing these acts of violence," MoFA said in a press statement.
The ministry also called on the South African authorities to continue their commendable activity to contain violence and ensure Ethiopian citizens' security and safety.
The statement further said the Ethiopian embassy in Pretoria is closely working with authorities and members of the community to address the issue.
Xenophobic attacks have broken out in South Africa following a planned strike by truck drivers in that country protesting the presence of foreign nationals in the trucking business.
South Africa saw xenophobia-related attacks in recent years. In 2015, widespread violence against foreigners broke out in parts of the country, leaving several foreigners dead. Ever since, sporadic incidents of xenophobia-related attacks have been reported.
