Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland confirmed tonight that a diplomatic crisis between Nigeria and South Africa has been de-escalated after three days of emergency talks in Abuja. The dispute, triggered by the 12 January arrest of a South African diplomat in Lagos on espionage charges, had threatened to boil over into trade sanctions and the expulsion of high commissioners. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who interrupted a tour of Southern Africa to mediate, secured a joint statement from Presidents Bola Tinubu and Cyril Ramaphosa pledging to resolve the matter through the Commonwealth Secretariat.
The breakthrough came after Her Majesty’s Government offered to host a judicial review panel under Commonwealth auspices. The diplomat, now released on bail, will be repatriated to Pretoria on 3 February. South African Airlines had cancelled three flights to Lagos on Sunday amid fears of retaliatory seizures.
West African markets stabilised on the news. Both presidents are expected to address their parliaments on Thursday.
