President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has strongly condemned the renewed wave of xenophobic (Afrophobic) attacks in South Africa, saying the country should never forget that its liberation from apartheid was achieved with the support and sacrifices of fellow African nations, including Nigeria. He called on ECOWAS and the African Union (AU) to present a united front against attacks targeting Africans on the continent.
President Bola Tinubu has renewed Nigeria’s condemnation of the ongoing attacks on Nigerians and other African nationals in South Africa, urging African leaders to confront what he described as an unacceptable wave of Afrophobia.
Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the 69th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Freetown, Sierra Leone, Tinubu said Africa must reject every form of hostility directed at fellow Africans.
Tinubu said South Africa’s freedom from apartheid was made possible through decades of solidarity, financial support and diplomatic pressure mounted by several African countries, including Nigeria.
According to him, the continent cannot remain silent while Africans are targeted simply because of their nationality, stressing that such actions undermine the ideals of African unity and brotherhood.
The President called on ECOWAS leaders to collectively condemn the attacks and ensure the matter is formally presented before the African Union.
He argued that a united continental response would send a strong signal that xenophobia and Afrophobia have no place in Africa and should never be tolerated.
Tinubu’s remarks come after renewed anti-immigrant violence in parts of South Africa forced Nigeria to evacuate over 1,400 citizens in recent days.
The attacks have drawn condemnation from several African governments, with concerns that they threaten regional integration, free movement and decades of diplomatic cooperation across the continent.
As tensions persist, Nigeria says it will continue working with ECOWAS, the African Union and other regional partners to protect African citizens and promote peaceful coexistence across the continent. Tinubu maintained that the future of Africa depends on unity rather than division.