OPERATION DUDULA AND THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF MOZAMBICANS IN SOUTH AFRICA: AN ANALYSIS IN LIGHT OF INTERNATIONAL LEGAL INSTRUMENTS FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.22533/at.ed.2216622608041

• Palavras-chave: Operation Dudula; Human Rights; Mozambicans; Xenophobia; South Africa.

• Keywords: Operation Dudula; Human Rights; Mozambicans; Xenophobia; South Africa.

• Abstract:

  Mozambican migration to South Africa constitutes a historical, structural, and numerically significant phenomenon, marked by the continuous movement of Mozambican citizens in search of better living conditions, employment, and livelihoods. However, the significant presence of foreigners in that country, particularly Mozambican migrants, has been accompanied by social tensions, expressions of hostility, and xenophobia on the part of some nationals who view immigration as a threat to their rights and socioeconomic opportunities. It is in this context that Operation Dudula emerged in 2021, a Zulu term meaning to expel or drive out migrants, particularly those from African countries. 
  This article analyzes the conduct of Operation Dudula in light of international legal instruments for the protection of human rights, with a specific focus on the situation of Mozambican citizens residing in South Africa, with the aim of demonstrating that the practices associated with this Operation constitute clear and systematic human rights violations. Through a qualitative approach, based on documentary and legal-normative analysis, the article examines the main international legal instruments for the protection of human rights, highlighting the incompatibility between these instruments and the actions of exclusion, intimidation, and violence directed against Mozambican migrants, revealing a worrying gap between the existing international legal framework and effective protection on the ground. 
  The article thus contributes to the academic and political debate by addressing xenophobia as a central human rights issue and by filling the gap in legal-humanitarian studies on the impact of Operation Dudula on foreign nationals in South Africa, particularly Mozambicans.