The International Criminal Court (ICC) has confirmed receiving a petition from two Ghanaians seeking a preliminary examination into recurring xenophobic attacks and alleged crimes against humanity in South Africa.
The communication, submitted to the Office of the Prosecutor on July 15, 2026, was assigned Submission ID #85af1b23-2bb1-481c-ac64-5cb02c7c3524.
Get more exclusive breaking news updates on our WhatsApp channel .
The petition was filed by former Government Spokesperson on Governance and Security, Dr. Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, and counter-terrorism and security analyst Emmanuel Kotin of the Africa Centre for Security and Counter Terrorism.
The petitioners are urging the ICC Prosecutor to examine what they describe as a pattern of widespread and systematic xenophobic attacks against foreign nationals, particularly African migrants, in South Africa between 2015 and 2026.
They argue that the attacks, which they say have involved killings, assaults, looting, forced displacement and destruction of property, may amount to crimes against humanity under Article 7 of the Rome Statute.
The petition also alleges that South African authorities failed to adequately prevent the attacks, protect victims, investigate offenders and prosecute those responsible.
Among the requests, the petitioners are asking the ICC to begin a preliminary examination, determine whether senior state officials, including President Cyril Ramaphosa, bear command responsibility, and open a formal investigation if the legal threshold is met.
However, the ICC Secretariat clarified that acknowledging receipt of the communication does not mean the Court has opened an investigation or reached any conclusions on the allegations.
The Office of the Prosecutor will first assess the submission to determine whether it satisfies the legal requirements for a preliminary examination under the Rome Statute.
