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President Bola Tinubu has formally raised Nigeria’s concerns over recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other foreign nationals in South Africa at the African Union. Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the AU’s 21st Extraordinary Session in Luanda, Angola, Tinubu said the attacks threaten African solidarity, unity and peaceful coexistence. He called on African leaders to urgently address the issue collectively.
Tinubu urged the AU to place the matter on the agenda of its 40th Ordinary Session scheduled for January 2027, seeking appropriate action to protect the safety, dignity and rights of Africans across the continent. While acknowledging South Africa’s right to enforce its immigration laws and its contributions to Africa, he stressed that xenophobia and Afrophobia require stronger continental responses through dialogue, preventive diplomacy and collective action.
The President also backed the Luanda Action Plan on conflict prevention and called for stronger African ownership of security initiatives. He warned that increasing reliance on foreign military forces, mercenaries and private defence contractors could weaken the AU’s conflict-prevention mechanisms, while urging African countries to strengthen cooperation against the diversion of weapons to terrorists and other armed groups.
