President Bola Tinubu has urged the African Union (AU) to take decisive action against recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks targeting Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa.
Tinubu made the call through Vice President Kashim Shettima, who delivered his message at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Luanda, Angola, on Sunday.
The president called for the issue to be included on the agenda of the AU’s 40th Ordinary Session scheduled for January 2027, stressing the need for African leaders to strengthen commitments to the safety, protection and dignity of citizens across the continent.
“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 right to enforce its immigration laws and recognising the country’s contributions to the African continent, Tinubu said attacks against foreign nationals threaten the ideals of African unity, solidarity and peaceful coexistence.
He said the situation deserves urgent collective attention and called on the AU Assembly to consider the matter and take appropriate measures at its next ordinary session.
Nigeria also threw its weight behind the adoption of the Luanda Action Plan, describing the initiative as an important framework for strengthening conflict prevention and promoting lasting peace across Africa.
“For Nigeria, conflict prevention remains more cost-effective and sustainable than conflict management,” Tinubu said.
He cautioned against fragmented peace initiatives and the increasing involvement of external actors in African conflicts, including foreign military forces, mercenaries and private defence contractors.
According to him, excessive reliance on external actors could weaken the AU’s conflict prevention mechanisms and erode the principle of African ownership in resolving the continent’s security challenges.
Tinubu further called on arms-producing and exporting countries to work more closely with African governments to prevent weapons and ammunition manufactured within their territories from being diverted to terrorists and other non-state armed groups.
He noted that although the AU has established mechanisms for conflict prevention and resolution, limited trust among member states and inconsistent implementation have continued to affect their effectiveness.
“The growing reliance on external actors risks weakening African institutions and the principle of African ownership,” he said.
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Nigeria also supported calls for sustainable and predictable financing for AU peace operations, as well as the full operationalisation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719 to strengthen the continental body’s capacity to respond effectively to conflicts and crises.
Tinubu urged African leaders to renew their commitment to African-led solutions, deeper cooperation and collective responsibility in confronting the continent’s security and development challenges.
“Let us therefore renew our collective commitment to solidarity, cooperation, and shared responsibility as we build the Africa we want,” he said.
