President Bola Tinubu has called on the African Union to take collective action against recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks targeting Africans and other foreign nationals in South Africa.
Tinubu raised the issue on Sunday at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Luanda, Angola, where he urged African leaders to place the matter on the agenda of the next AU Assembly session scheduled for January 2027.
The President, represented at the meeting by Vice President Kashim Shettima, said the attacks threatened African solidarity, unity and peaceful coexistence across the continent.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Senior Special Assistant to the Vice President on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, titled ‘President Tinubu Takes Fight Against Xenophobic, Afrophobic Attacks in S’Africa to AU’, the President expressed Nigeria’s concern over the recurring incidents.
“While recognising South Africa’s sovereign right to enforce its immigration laws and acknowledging its contributions to the continent, Nigeria stresses that such attacks undermine African solidarity, unity and peaceful coexistence, and require urgent collective attention,” Tinubu said.
He formally requested that the issue be tabled before the 40th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly in January 2027 for consideration and appropriate action.
Tinubu also called for stronger continental measures to combat xenophobia and Afrophobia, stressing that dialogue, preventive diplomacy and collective action were critical to preserving African unity.
Conflict Prevention
On the continent’s broader security challenges, Tinubu endorsed the Luanda Action Plan as a practical framework for strengthening conflict prevention.
He argued that preventing conflicts was more cost-effective and sustainable than managing them after they had erupted.
“For Nigeria, conflict prevention remains more cost-effective and sustainable than conflict management,” he said.
The President also expressed concern over fragmented peace initiatives and increasing external involvement in African conflicts through foreign military forces, mercenaries and private defence contractors.
He warned that excessive reliance on external actors could weaken African institutions and undermine the principle of African ownership of the continent’s peace and security efforts.
“The growing reliance on external actors risks weakening African institutions and the principle of African ownership,” he said, urging AU member states to renew their commitment to collective responsibility for maintaining peace and security.
Tinubu further appealed to arms-producing and exporting countries to strengthen cooperation with African states to prevent weapons and ammunition manufactured in their territories from being diverted to terrorists and other non-state armed groups.
He noted that although the AU has established mechanisms for preventing and resolving conflicts, limited trust among member states and inconsistent implementation continue to hinder their effectiveness.
Nigeria also supported sustainable and predictable financing for AU peace operations, as well as the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719, which seeks to enhance the AU’s capacity to respond to conflicts and crises.
Tinubu urged African leaders to prioritise homegrown solutions to the continent’s security and social challenges.
“Let us therefore renew our collective commitment to solidarity, cooperation, and shared responsibility as we build the Africa we want,” he said.
