Afrophobia and migration: The African Diaspora Union calls on African states to be held accountable

The African Diaspora Union (AFRIDU), a pan-African organization, called on the continent's states on October 2, 2026, in Abuja to address the issues of migration and Afrophobia together, reports Voice of Nigeria. The organization was holding a press conference ahead of an international meeting scheduled for October 5, 2026, in the Nigerian capital, on the theme "Effect of Migration on the African Citizens."

Its president, Professor Chidiebere Anelechi, insisted on the human dimension of the subject: "behind every migration statistic there is a human being," he declared according to Voice of Nigeria, referring to a mother, a father, a son, a daughter. He recalled that thousands of Africans die every year while crossing the desert and the Mediterranean.

A monitoring mechanism for xenophobic violence

The most concrete demand put forward by the organization is the creation of a continental accountability mechanism, tasked with recording and monitoring xenophobic incidents. The issue, posed bluntly by AFRIDU: what protection really exists for an African who is attacked in another African country?

The question is not theoretical. The organization's president praised Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo for evacuating their nationals during xenophobic violence in South Africa. When asked about South African participation in the Abuja meeting, he indicated that an invitation had been sent to Pretoria, without knowing if it would be honored, according to the same media outlet.

Employment as a fundamental response

AFRIDU's special envoy to Nigeria, Professor Abduljalil Tafawa Balewa, for his part, emphasized job creation, presented as the condition for tackling the root causes of departures. A constant argument from African organizations: as long as the continent's economies do not absorb their youth, no migration policy, whether African or European, will hold anyone back.

AFRIDU defines itself as an organization dedicated to the promotion of pan-Africanism, the preservation of African cultural heritage, and the defense of human rights. It considers the historical African diaspora — the descendants of people deported through the slave trade — as an integral part of the continent, and regularly organizes return meetings in Abuja with the support of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), according to the Nigerian Tribune.

The initiative comes as migration policies are hardening everywhere, in Europe as well as on the continent. However, it shifts the focus: before denouncing the walls erected elsewhere, the organization is asking African governments to first guarantee the dignity and safety of Africans among their neighbors. It is a requirement of consistency for an African Union that proclaims free movement without always ensuring its protection.