President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on the African Union (AU) to take urgent action over recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other nationals in South Africa.
Tinubu made the call in a message delivered by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the AU in Luanda, Angola.
The President urged the continental body to place the issue on the agenda of the 40th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly scheduled for January 2027, for consideration and appropriate action.
“Enough is enough. Nigeria wishes to express its concern over the recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other nationals in South Africa,” Tinubu said.
He said Nigeria recognised South Africa’s sovereign right to enforce its immigration laws and acknowledged the country’s contributions to the continent.
“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 added that the AU could no longer afford to ignore incidents capable of weakening relations among African countries.
“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.
The President 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, Tinubu supported the adoption of the Luanda Action Plan as a practical roadmap for strengthening conflict prevention.
“For Nigeria, conflict prevention remains more cost-effective and sustainable than conflict management,” he said.
He warned that fragmented peace initiatives and increasing reliance on foreign military forces, mercenaries and private defence contractors could weaken the AU’s conflict prevention mechanisms and undermine the principle of African ownership.
“The growing reliance on external actors risks weakening African institutions and the principle of African ownership,” Tinubu said.
He also called on arms-producing and exporting countries to strengthen cooperation with African states to prevent weapons and ammunition produced within their jurisdictions from being diverted to terrorists and other non-state armed groups.
According to him, although the AU has robust mechanisms for preventing and resolving conflicts, limited trust and inconsistent implementation continue to undermine their effectiveness.
Tinubu urged member states to renew their commitment to collective responsibility for maintaining peace and security across the continent.
Nigeria also backed sustainable and predictable financing for AU peace operations and the full operationalisation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719 to strengthen the continental body’s capacity to respond effectively to conflicts and crises.
The President urged African leaders to recommit to home-grown solutions, stronger cooperation and shared responsibility in addressing the continent’s security challenges.
“Let us therefore renew our collective commitment to solidarity, cooperation, and shared responsibility as we build the Africa we want,” he said.