African Foreign Ministers Call for Permanent Seats in UNSC, Total Reform of UN Organs

Addis Ababa February 4/2022/ENA/ Foreign Affairs Ministers of three African countries have called for a total reform of UN organs and requested permanent seats in the Security Council.

The Namibia, South Africa, and Uganda ministers are in Addis Ababa to attend the 40th Ordinary Session of the African Union Executive Council.

International Relations and Cooperation Minister of South Africa, Naledi Pandor told ENA that  she thinks Africa didn't pushed enough or had a well-orchestrated African campaign to realize the adopted Ezulwini Consensus.

South African still believes that reform of the UN as well as the UNSC is critical because at the moment it is a body with a great deal of power, She noted.

“As African countries, we have non-permanent membership but a rotating membership. We don’t enjoy strong decision making power. It is still constructed as per the arrangement of post-1947. It is a very old arrangement that construed before we become free. As Africa, we are now 54 independent countries and we cannot only be represented by three non-permanent members. We believe that this is unfair and undemocratic arrangement," she stressed.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of Namibia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah said efforts have been exerted to get two seats with a veto power and increase the non-permanent member seats from three to five.

Discussions are also underway with the five permanent members to convince them that what we are looking for is not a favor, but justice to be done.

“Africa is pushing, the African Union has assigned responsibility to 10 head of states and one of them is the President of Namibia, representing southern Africa together with the President of Zambia. So, we are engaging with all stakeholders in the intergovernmental negotiation and we are gaining support for the African common position to get two permanent seats in the UN Security Council.”

According to her, this is the position of Africa and Sierra Leone is a coordinating country for the ten countries that are given the responsibility.

Uganda Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Henry Okello Oryem said on his part the UN must leave for Africa two permanent seats with veto rights and two rotating seats, which is an historical right of Africa to deal with injustice and unfairness in the UN.

According to him, “75 percent of the discussion in UNSC is Africa. They discuss about Africa without bringing Africa on the table. We think that is very unfair. Africa is the only continent on this earth that is not in the UNSC. So, we call for the total reform of the UN, the Security Council, the general assembly, and all its organs. We call particularly for Africa to have two permanent seats and two rotating seats with veto rights in the UNSC.”

He further underlined that Africans should continue to support one another in the international fora, struggle for peace and security in the region and increase trade among them using the African free trade initiatives.

It is to be recalled that PM Abiy Ahmed joined other African leaders in calling for an African country to be included in the UNSC.