Tinubu Drags South Africa to AU Over Xenophobic Attacks

President Bola Tinubu has urged the African Union (AU) to take collective action against recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks targeting Africans and other foreign nationals in South Africa.

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Tinubu made the call at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the AU Assembly in Luanda, Angola, where Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria and delivered the President’s message.

Nigeria wants the issue formally considered at the AU’s 40th Ordinary Session, scheduled for January 2027.

Tinubu said African leaders must confront the attacks because they threaten the continent’s long-standing ideals of solidarity, unity and peaceful coexistence.

“South Africa has the right to enforce its immigration laws, but that right must not become a justification for attacks against Africans,” the President said in his message.

He acknowledged South Africa’s contributions to Africa but stressed that xenophobic violence required an urgent continental response.

According to Tinubu, African countries cannot build a united continent while nationals from one African country face hostility and violence in another.

He therefore called for renewed efforts to protect the safety, dignity and rights of African nationals wherever they reside across the continent.

The President also advocated stronger measures against xenophobia and Afrophobia, with dialogue, preventive diplomacy and collective intervention identified as key tools for addressing tensions before they escalate.

Beyond the South African issue, Tinubu used the AU gathering to push for a stronger continental approach to conflict prevention and peacebuilding.

Nigeria supported the Luanda Action Plan, describing it as an important framework for improving the AU’s ability to prevent conflicts before they become more difficult and expensive to resolve.

“Preventing conflict is ultimately more sustainable and less costly than responding after violence has taken hold,” Tinubu said.

The President expressed concern over the increasing involvement of foreign military forces, mercenaries and private defence contractors in African conflicts.

He warned that excessive dependence on outside actors could weaken African institutions and undermine the principle that Africans should take ownership of solutions to the continent’s security problems.

Tinubu also turned attention to the illegal flow of arms and ammunition into conflict zones.

He called on countries that manufacture and export weapons to work more closely with African governments to stop weapons produced in their territories from reaching terrorists and other armed groups.

The President noted that the AU already has several mechanisms designed to prevent and resolve conflicts. 

However, he said their impact had been limited by weak trust among member states and inconsistent implementation.

Nigeria also backed predictable and sustainable funding for AU-led peace operations.

Tinubu urged African countries to support the full implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719, which provides a framework for financing AU peace support operations through UN-assessed contributions.

He said stronger funding would improve the continent’s ability to respond to emerging conflicts and humanitarian crises without excessive dependence on external actors.

Tinubu ultimately called for greater African ownership of peace and security initiatives, urging member states to strengthen cooperation and accept shared responsibility for resolving the continent’s challenges.

He said Africa’s future depended on countries working together rather than pursuing fragmented responses to common threats.

“Solidarity, cooperation and shared responsibility must remain at the heart of the Africa we seek to build,” Tinubu said.