President Bola Tinubu has escalated Nigeria’s concerns over recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks in South Africa to the African Union (AU), calling for urgent collective action to protect the safety, dignity and rights of Africans across the continent.
Tinubu made the position known through Vice President Kashim Shettima, who delivered the President’s message at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union in Luanda, Angola.
The Nigerian President urged African leaders to treat the issue as a continental concern, stressing that attacks against Africans in South Africa undermine the principles of African solidarity, unity and peaceful coexistence.
“Nigeria wishes to express its concern over the recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other nationals in South Africa,” Tinubu said.
While acknowledging South Africa’s sovereign right to enforce its immigration laws and recognising the country’s contributions to Africa’s development, the President maintained that such attacks cannot be separated from the continent’s broader commitment to unity.
He called on the AU to place the matter on the agenda of its 40th Ordinary Session, scheduled for January 2027, to allow African leaders to consider appropriate measures.
Tinubu also urged the continental body and member states to strengthen efforts to combat xenophobia and Afrophobia through dialogue, preventive diplomacy and collective action.
Nigeria’s intervention comes against the backdrop of longstanding concerns over attacks and hostility directed at Nigerians and other African nationals living and working in South Africa.
Beyond xenophobia, Tinubu used the AU gathering to address broader security challenges confronting the continent.
The President supported adopting the Luanda Action Plan as a practical framework for strengthening conflict prevention and tackling the root causes of instability across Africa.
According to him, preventing conflicts is more cost-effective and sustainable than managing them after they have escalated.
Tinubu, however, warned that fragmented peace initiatives and growing reliance on foreign military forces, mercenaries and private defence contractors could undermine the AU’s conflict-prevention mechanisms and the principle of African ownership.
He called for renewed commitment by African countries to take collective responsibility for the continent’s peace and security.
The President also urged arms-producing and exporting countries to work more closely with African states to prevent weapons and ammunition manufactured within their jurisdictions from being diverted to terrorists and other non-state armed groups.
He further noted that limited trust among AU member states and inconsistent implementation of existing mechanisms continue to weaken efforts to prevent and resolve conflicts.
Tinubu’s intervention reinforces Nigeria’s call for a coordinated African response to challenges that threaten the unity, security and dignity of people across the continent.
