Tinubu Drags S/Africa To AU Over Attacks On Nigerians, Others

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has asked the African Union (AU) to address recurring xenophobic attacks against Africans and other nationals in South Africa.

Tinubu made the demand in a message delivered by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Luanda, Angola, on Sunday.

He called on the AU to place the issue on the agenda of the 40th Ordinary Session of the Assembly scheduled for January 2027, and urged African leaders to reaffirm their commitment to the safety, protection and dignity of African nationals.

“Nigeria wishes to express its concern over the recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other nationals in South Africa.

“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.

“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 declared.

At the summit, Nigeria also backed the adoption of the Luanda Action Plan as a roadmap for strengthening conflict prevention.

“For Nigeria, conflict prevention remains more cost-effective and sustainable than conflict management,” President Tinubu said.

He warned that fragmented peace initiatives and increasing external interference through foreign military forces, mercenaries and private defence contractors could weaken the AU’s conflict prevention mechanisms and the principle of African ownership.

He also called on arms-producing and exporting countries to strengthen cooperation with African states and prevent weapons and ammunition produced within their jurisdictions from being diverted to terrorists and other non-state armed groups.

Tinubu said the AU had mechanisms for preventing and resolving conflicts but that limited trust and inconsistent implementation continued to undermine their effectiveness.

“The growing reliance on external actors risks weakening African institutions and the principle of African ownership,” he said, calling on member states to renew their commitment to collective responsibility for Africa’s peace and security.

Nigeria further backed sustainable and predictable financing for AU peace operations and the full operationalisation of UN Security Council Resolution 2719 to strengthen the continental body’s capacity to respond to conflicts and crises.

Tinubu urged African leaders to recommit themselves to home-grown solutions, stronger cooperation and shared responsibility in tackling 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.