President Bola Tinubu has called on the African Union, AU, to take urgent action against recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks targeting Africans and other foreign nationals in South Africa.
Tinubu also urged African leaders to place the issue on the agenda of the 40th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly scheduled for January 2027.
The President’s position was presented by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly in Luanda, Angola.
Tinubu called on African leaders to renew their commitment to protecting the safety, dignity and fundamental rights of Africans across the continent.
He said, “Nigeria wishes to express its concern over the recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other nationals in South Africa.
“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 urged the AU to consider the matter at its forthcoming session and take appropriate action.
“It is on this note that Nigeria calls on this august Assembly to place the matter on the agenda of the upcoming 40th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly, scheduled for January 2027, for consideration and appropriate action,” he said.
Tinubu also called for stronger continental efforts to combat xenophobia and Afrophobia, stressing that dialogue, preventive diplomacy and collective action were necessary to preserve African unity.
On Africa’s broader security challenges, Nigeria supported the adoption of the Luanda Action Plan as a framework for strengthening conflict prevention across the continent.
Tinubu argued that preventing conflicts was more sustainable and cost effective than managing them after they had escalated.
“For Nigeria, conflict prevention remains more cost-effective and sustainable than conflict management,” he said.
The President further warned that uncoordinated peace initiatives and increasing foreign involvement through military forces, mercenaries and private defence companies could undermine Africa’s capacity to resolve its own conflicts.
He called on countries that manufacture and export weapons to cooperate with African governments to prevent the diversion of arms and ammunition to terrorists and other armed groups.
Tinubu maintained that although the AU has established mechanisms for preventing and resolving conflicts, limited trust and weak implementation have continued to undermine their effectiveness.
