Flights home were arranged, bags were packed, and at least five African countries either completed or began the process of repatriating their citizens from South Africa amid rising xenophobic tensions in the country.
The repatriations signal a serious diplomatic moment for the continent, with governments stepping in to bring nationals home rather than wait out the unrest on the ground in South Africa.
Details on which specific countries are involved, and how many people have been moved, are still emerging. What is clear is that the situation is serious enough to prompt coordinated government action across multiple nations.
The bigger question now is what happens next, both for those who have returned home and for the thousands of African migrants still living and working in South Africa.
Originally published by Premium Times.