Senegal PM says xenophobic rhetoric must stop

Senegal's prime minister denounced the rise of "xenophobic" rhetoric in the west African nation on Tuesday, while also calling on foreigners to strictly adhere to residency regulations.

Last month, NGOs including Amnesty International Senegal noted an uptick in xenophobic rhetoric in the media and on social media, and urged the country to take action.

Other organisations have also recently denounced threats of intimidation circulating online against the Guinean community, which has lived and worked in Senegal for decades.

Xenophobic rhetoric has been on the rise across the African continent in recent months, including in South Africa, where anti-migrant protests have turned deadly and tens of thousands of foreign workers have been driven to leave.

Speaking to the National Assembly to present his government programme, Prime Minister Ahmadou Al Aminou Mohamed Lo said that Senegal "cannot be a country that is open, with citizens living all over the world... while allowing xenophobic rhetoric to flourish here".

He added that such rhetoric runs counter to Senegal's values and customs.

"We are all of mixed heritage. We all have relatives across the sub-region. Let us put an end to this stigmatisation, it does us no credit", he said.

However, he added that there was an "urgent need" for foreigners in Senegal to comply with the rules governing their stay.

He also announced plans to tighten border controls by upgrading existing electronic systems.

Interior Minister Mouhamadou Makhtar Cisse late last month also condemned the rise of xenophobic rhetoric in the country.

In mid-August during debate at the National Assembly, nationalist lawmaker Tahirou Sarr said Senegalese people were experiencing injustice "in several Dakar neighbourhoods" caused by an "influx of foreign beggars".

He also accused foreigners of engaging in criminal activity and prostitution.

In Kenya, the president recently called on foreign citizens running small businesses to close down, sparking panic in certain communities.

On Tuesday, the country's authorities gave foreign workers 90 days to regularise their status before immigration rules are "enforced firmly".