Tinubu Urges ECOWAS to Condemn Xenophobia in South Africa

President Bola Tinubu urged the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to present a united front in condemning xenophobic attacks against Nigerians and other Africans in South Africa. Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the 69th Ordinary Session of the Authority of Heads of State and Government in Sierra Leone, Tinubu requested that the issue be tabled before the African Union to signal that such intolerance is unacceptable. He noted that Nigeria has already evacuated over 1,490 citizens from South Africa across seven batches.

During the summit, regional leaders signed an inter-governmental agreement for the African Atlantic Gas Pipeline project and discussed the ECOWAS Vision 2050 and the ECOWAS Compact for the Future of Regional Integration. President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone emphasized the necessity of regional integration to reduce external dependency.

Representatives from the United Nations and the ECOWAS Commission reaffirmed their commitment to combating terrorism and transnational crime. United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed stressed that the UN Security Council should support African-led solutions to regional challenges.