Mozambique officials said Tuesday they will do everything possible to protect the lives of the more than 3 million Mozambican nationals living and working in South Africa amid fresh threats of a new wave of xenophobic attacks, dpa reoprted. Domingos Fernandes, a senior officer at the Minister of Foreign Affairs, told the public channel TVM that "the government has its eyes opened monitoring the situation in South Africa" to avert such attacks in the past when many Mozambicans where killed by angry mobs. Fernandes also reporters that the xenophobic threats will an issue to be raised during the SADC Foreign Ministers Meeting due to be held on Thursday in Maputo, Mozambique, as a way compel a regional condemnation of such despicable acts. Mozambique's Consul in South Africa, Fernando Fazenda, told TVM Tuesday that the consulate is liaising with local authorities to try to prevent such incidents. Fazenda added that the consulate is urging all Mozambican nationals to stay calm and alert. In case the situation worsens or the threats materialize "they must contact the embassy so that they can be given direction as to how to abandon the places where the violence occurs. They also must avoid confrontation." In 2008, over 60 people were killed when gangs of local poor black South Africans armed with clubs, machetes and torches descended on informal settlements and shanty towns, and attacked immigrants from Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabawe. -- SPA
