President Bola Tinubu has called on the African Union to take urgent steps to address recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other foreign nationals in South Africa.
Tinubu made the demand through Vice President Kashim Shettima, who represented him at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly in Luanda, Angola, on Sunday.
The Nigerian President urged African leaders to treat the issue as a continental concern, warning that attacks targeting Africans in South Africa threaten the principles of unity, solidarity and peaceful coexistence among countries on the continent.
He also requested that the matter be formally placed on the agenda of the 40th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, scheduled for January 2027, for consideration and appropriate action.
“Nigeria wishes to express its concern over the recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other nationals in South Africa,” Tinubu said.
He acknowledged South Africa’s sovereign authority to enforce its immigration laws, as well as the country’s contributions to Africa, but maintained that such powers should not be used in ways that undermine the dignity and safety of other Africans.
“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,” he said.
Tinubu called for stronger continental measures against xenophobia and Afrophobia, stressing the importance of dialogue, preventive diplomacy and collective action in dealing with tensions involving African nationals.
Beyond the xenophobia issue, the President used the AU gathering to advocate stronger African-led mechanisms for preventing and managing conflicts across the continent.
Nigeria backed the Luanda Action Plan, describing conflict prevention as a more sustainable approach than waiting for crises to escalate before responding.
“For Nigeria, conflict prevention remains more cost-effective and sustainable than conflict management,” Tinubu said.
He expressed concern about the growing involvement of foreign military forces, mercenaries and private defence contractors in African conflicts, warning that such developments could weaken the AU’s peace and security architecture and undermine African ownership of solutions to the continent’s problems.
“The growing reliance on external actors risks weakening African institutions and the principle of African ownership,” he said.
Tinubu also urged countries that manufacture and export arms to work more closely with African states to prevent weapons and ammunition from being diverted to terrorist organisations and other armed groups.
He called for sustainable and predictable funding for AU peace operations and urged member states to support the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719, aimed at strengthening the AU’s capacity to respond to conflicts and crises.
The President said African countries must take greater responsibility for addressing the continent’s security challenges through stronger cooperation and home-grown solutions.
“Let us therefore renew our collective commitment to solidarity, cooperation, and shared responsibility as we build the Africa we want,” Tinubu said.
