- Says ‘enough is enough’
By Chesa Chesa
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has formally raised recurring xenophobic and Afrophobic attacks against Africans and other nationals in South Africa before the African Union (AU), warning that the incidents threaten the continent’s solidarity, unity and peaceful coexistence.
The President called for urgent collective action by African leaders and requested that the issue be placed on the agenda of the 40th Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly scheduled for January 2027.
Tinubu made Nigeria’s position known in a message delivered by Vice-President Kashim Shettima at the 21st Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of the African Union in Luanda, Angola.
Represented at the continental summit by Shettima, the President urged African leaders to reaffirm their commitment to the safety, protection and dignity of all African nationals.
“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,” Tinubu said.
He added, “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.”
Tinubu called for stronger continental efforts to combat xenophobia and Afrophobia, stressing that dialogue, preventive diplomacy and collective action were essential to preserving African unity.
On the broader security situation across the continent, Nigeria supported the adoption of the Luanda Action Plan as a practical roadmap for strengthening conflict prevention.
The President argued that preventing conflicts was more cost-effective and sustainable than managing them after they had erupted.
“For Nigeria, conflict prevention remains more cost-effective and sustainable than conflict management,” he said.
Tinubu also warned that fragmented peace initiatives and growing 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 called on arms-producing and exporting countries to strengthen cooperation with African states and ensure that weapons and ammunition produced within their jurisdictions were not diverted to terrorists and other non-state armed groups.
The President noted that although the AU had robust mechanisms for preventing and resolving conflicts, 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, urging member states to renew their commitment to collective responsibility for Africa’s peace and security.
Nigeria also supported sustainable and predictable financing for AU peace operations and the full operationalisation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2719 to enhance the continental body’s capacity to respond effectively to conflicts and crises.
Tinubu urged African leaders to recommit to home-grown solutions, stronger cooperation and shared responsibility in addressing 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,” the President said.
