Tinubu Escalates South Africa Xenophobia Row at African Union

President Bola Tinubu has formally raised Nigeria's grievances over xenophobic and anti-African violence in South Africa at the African Union's 21st Extraordinary Session, which took place this week in Luanda, Angola. Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima, Tinubu demanded that continental leaders take coordinated steps to address the attacks and their underlying causes.

The Nigerian leader framed the violence as a threat to the broader Pan-African project, arguing that hostility toward foreign nationals undermines the shared values of solidarity, unity, and peaceful coexistence that the continent seeks to uphold. He called for the matter to receive formal attention at the AU's 40th Ordinary Assembly session scheduled for January 2027, ensuring it becomes part of the bloc's official agenda rather than remaining a bilateral concern.

The escalation comes as Nigeria has undertaken a voluntary evacuation of more than 1,500 of its citizens from South Africa following waves of anti-immigrant demonstrations. This concrete action underscores the severity of conditions facing Nigerians and other foreign nationals in the country, moving the issue beyond diplomatic rhetoric into material consequences for affected populations.

Tinubu's intervention represents an effort to shift responsibility for addressing xenophobia from individual African nations to the continental institution itself. By seeking agenda placement at the January 2027 summit, Nigeria is attempting to transform what has been a recurring but fragmented response into a structured continental dialogue requiring participation from all AU member states.