President Bola Tinubu on Sunday in Angola formally reported the recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other nationals in South Africa to the African Union, declaring that such attacks undermine the continent’s solidarity, unity and peaceful coexistence.
He demanded that African leaders place the matter on the agenda of the next AU Assembly session in January 2027 for collective action.
The President, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, delivered the message at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Luanda, Angola.
Senior Special Assistant to the VP on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday titled ‘President Tinubu Takes Fight Against Xenophobic, Afrophobic Attacks in S’Africa To AU’.
According to Nkwocha, Tinubu 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 formally requested that the matter be tabled at the next ordinary session of the Assembly, saying, “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.”
Tinubu called for stronger continental efforts to combat xenophobia and Afrophobia, stressing that dialogue, preventive diplomacy and collective action remained essential to preserving African unity.
On the broader security situation across the continent, he backed the adoption of the Luanda Action Plan as a practical roadmap for strengthening conflict prevention, arguing that prevention was cheaper and more sustainable than managing conflicts after they erupt.
“For Nigeria, conflict prevention remains more cost-effective and sustainable than conflict management,” he stated.
He warned that fragmented peace initiatives and growing external interference through foreign military forces, mercenaries and private defence contractors risked weakening the AU’s conflict prevention mechanisms and the principle of African ownership.
“The growing reliance on external actors risks weakening African institutions and the principle of African ownership,” he said, calling on member states to renew their commitment to collective responsibility for the continent’s peace and security.
He also called on arms-producing and exporting countries to strengthen cooperation with African states to prevent weapons and ammunition manufactured within their jurisdictions from being diverted to terrorists and other non-state armed groups.
Tinubu maintained that although the AU possesses robust mechanisms for preventing and resolving conflicts, limited trust among member states and inconsistent implementation continue to undermine their effectiveness.
Nigeria also backed sustainable and predictable financing for AU peace operations and the full operationalisation of UN Security Council Resolution 2719, aimed at strengthening the continental body’s capacity to respond to conflicts and crises.
He appealed to African leaders to return to homegrown approaches in addressing the continent’s security and social challenges, saying, “Let us therefore renew our collective commitment to solidarity, cooperation, and shared responsibility as we build the Africa we want.”
