As Chairperson of the African Union (AU) for 2026, Burundi's President Evariste Ndayishimiye has assumed leadership at a time when Africa faces significant challenges relating to peace, security, economic integration, and social cohesion. During his acceptance of the AU chairmanship, he emphasized the need for greater African unity, stronger regional integration, sustainable development, and tangible benefits for ordinary African citizens. He also pledged to advance the goals of Agenda 2063, strengthen cooperation among member states, and promote peace and stability across the continent.
The AU's 2026 agenda is centered on the theme of ensuring sustainable water availability and sanitation, while simultaneously addressing broader issues such as conflict resolution, economic development, institutional reform, and continental integration through initiatives like the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). AU leaders have repeatedly stressed that Africa's future depends on solidarity among member states and the free movement of people, goods, and services across the continent.
Xenophobia as a Challenge to the AU Chairperson's Mandate
Against this backdrop, recurring xenophobic campaigns and attacks against African migrants in South Africa represent a significant challenge to the AU Chairperson's objectives. Xenophobic sentiments directed at fellow Africans undermine the very principles of Pan-Africanism upon which the African Union was founded. Efforts to build a more integrated continent become difficult when African nationals are subjected to hostility, discrimination, intimidation, or violence simply because they come from another African country.
Such campaigns create divisions among African peoples and weaken trust between countries. They also contradict the AU's vision of a united continent in which citizens can contribute to economic growth and development regardless of their country of origin. For President Ndayishimiye, whose mandate includes strengthening unity and integration, persistent xenophobia presents both a moral and political challenge. It raises questions about how Africa can achieve deeper integration while Africans continue to face barriers and hostility from fellow Africans.
Furthermore, xenophobic tensions can complicate diplomatic relations between South Africa and other African states whose citizens may be targeted. This undermines efforts to enhance continental cooperation and can weaken support for broader AU initiatives.
Impact on South Africa's Image in Africa
The resurgence of anti-foreigner campaigns also risks damaging South Africa's reputation across the continent. South Africa has long occupied a respected position in Africa because of its successful struggle against apartheid and its leadership role in continental affairs. However, many Africans view xenophobic attacks as inconsistent with the values of solidarity, human dignity, and African brotherhood that characterized the anti-apartheid movement.
Many African countries made considerable sacrifices to support South Africans during the liberation struggle. Countries such as Tanzania, Zambia, Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and others hosted South African freedom fighters, provided training camps, offered diplomatic support, and endured economic and military pressures from the apartheid regime because of their support for the African National Congress (ANC) and other liberation movements.
Thousands of South African exiles found refuge throughout Africa. African governments allocated scarce resources to accommodate them, educate their children, and support the broader struggle for freedom. The Organization of African Unity (OAU), the predecessor of the African Union, consistently mobilized diplomatic, political, and financial support against apartheid and advocated for sanctions against the South African regime.
Against this historical background, xenophobic campaigns can be perceived by many Africans as a betrayal of the solidarity that Africa showed South Africa during its darkest years. The perception that fellow Africans are unwelcome in a country for which the continent sacrificed so much can generate resentment and disappointment across Africa.
A Threat to Pan-African Ideals
Perhaps the greatest damage caused by xenophobia is the blow, it deals with the ideals of Pan-Africanism. African leaders have long promoted the idea that Africans share a common destiny and should work together to overcome the legacies of colonialism, poverty, conflict, and underdevelopment.
The success of Agenda 2063 and the AfCFTA depends not only on treaties and institutions but also on a shared sense of African identity and mutual respect. Xenophobic campaigns weaken this foundation and send a message that national interests are being placed above continental solidarity.
In conclusion, President Évariste Ndayishimiye's principal objectives as AU Chairperson include promoting African unity, peace, integration, and sustainable development. Xenophobic campaigns against Africans in South Africa present a direct challenge to those objectives because they undermine continental solidarity, strain relations between African countries, and weaken the spirit of Pan-African cooperation
Moreover, The IIJD believes that such campaigns is tarnishing South Africa's image across the continent. Many African nations stood firmly with South Africans during the struggle against apartheid, often at great political and economic cost. For this reason, hostility toward fellow Africans is viewed by many as inconsistent with the history of African solidarity that helped secure South Africa's freedom. Addressing xenophobia is therefore not only a domestic necessity for South Africa but also an important requirement for strengthening African unity and advancing the broader vision of the African Union.