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 made the call on Sunday during the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Luanda, Angola.
The President was represented at the session by Vice President Kashim Shettima.
According to a statement issued by Shettima’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communication, Stanley Nkwocha, Tinubu urged African leaders to include the issue on the agenda of the next ordinary session of the AU Assembly scheduled for January 2027.
He said Nigeria was concerned about the repeated attacks, noting that while South Africa had the right to enforce its immigration laws, violence and hostility against other Africans threatened the unity of the continent.
“Such attacks undermine African solidarity, unity and peaceful coexistence, and require urgent collective attention,” the President said.
Tinubu therefore formally requested that the matter be considered at the 40th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly.
He said, “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.”
The President also advocated stronger continental measures to tackle xenophobia and Afrophobia, stressing the importance of dialogue, preventive diplomacy and joint action.
On security challenges across Africa, Tinubu supported the adoption of the Luanda Action Plan as a framework for preventing conflicts and strengthening peace efforts.
He argued that preventing conflicts was more sustainable and less costly than attempting to resolve them after they had escalated.
Tinubu also expressed concern over the increasing involvement of foreign military forces, mercenaries and private security contractors in African conflicts.
“The growing reliance on external actors risks weakening African institutions and the principle of African ownership,” he said.
He urged African countries to take greater responsibility for maintaining peace and security on the continent.
The President further called on countries that manufacture and export arms to work more closely with African governments to prevent weapons and ammunition from being diverted to terrorists and other armed groups.
He observed that although the AU had established mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution, inadequate trust among member states and poor implementation had continued to limit their effectiveness.
Nigeria, he added, supported predictable and sustainable funding for AU peace operations and the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719, which seeks to strengthen the AU’s capacity to respond to conflicts and crises.
Tinubu urged African leaders to embrace locally driven 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.
