By Paul Joseph
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has called on the African Union (AU) to take urgent action over recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa.
The President made the call in a message delivered on his behalf by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Luanda, Angola, on Sunday.
Tinubu urged the continental body to place the matter on the agenda of its 40th Ordinary Session scheduled for January 2027, stressing the need for African leaders to reaffirm their commitment 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,” the President said.
While acknowledging South Africa’s sovereign right to enforce its immigration laws and recognising its contributions to Africa, Tinubu maintained that attacks against foreign nationals undermine the principles of African unity, solidarity and peaceful coexistence.
He said the situation required urgent collective attention and called on the AU Assembly to consider the issue and take appropriate action at its next ordinary session.
At the summit, Nigeria also expressed support for the adoption of the Luanda Action Plan as a framework for strengthening conflict prevention across Africa.
“For Nigeria, conflict prevention remains more cost-effective and sustainable than conflict management,” Tinubu said.
The President warned against fragmented peace initiatives and growing external interference in African conflicts, including the involvement of foreign military forces, mercenaries and private defence contractors.
According to him, increased dependence on external actors could weaken the AU’s conflict prevention mechanisms and undermine the principle of African ownership in addressing the continent’s security challenges.
Tinubu also called on countries involved in the production and export of arms to strengthen cooperation with African governments to prevent weapons and ammunition manufactured within their territories from falling into the hands of terrorists and other non-state armed groups.
He noted that although the African Union already has mechanisms for preventing and resolving conflicts, 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.
Nigeria also backed sustainable and predictable funding for AU peace operations and called for the full operationalisation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719 to improve the continental body’s capacity to respond to conflicts and crises.
Tinubu urged African leaders to renew their commitment to home-grown solutions, stronger cooperation and shared responsibility in tackling insecurity across the continent.
“Let us therefore renew our collective commitment to solidarity, cooperation, and shared responsibility as we build the Africa we want,” he said.
Leave a Reply