African leaders renew push for more representation at UN Security Council

African countries have renewed their push for permanent seats at the United Nations Security Council, joining calls from Japan, Germany, Brazil and India to expand representation of the body. In his pre-recorded address to the United Nations General Assembly debate on Tuesday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said “the current composition of the Security Council does not reflect the world in which we live”. “We repeat our call for greater representation of African countries on the Security Council, and that this be taken up with urgency at the intergovernmental negotiations,” said Ramaphosa, chairman of the 55-member African Union. He said only a reformed and inclusive UN Security Council would enable the world to collectively resolve some of the most protracted conflicts. At present, the Security Council, which is responsible for maintaining international peace and security, has 15 members, five of whom are permanent with veto power – China, France, Russia, Britain and the United States. Africa currently has three rotating non-permanent seats at the Security Council. Kenya was elected in June and is expected to replace South Africa when its term ends in January. The two other members are Niger and Tunisia, representing West African and North African countries, respectively. The African Union adopted a common position for expanded and fair representation on the Security Council back in 2005, known as the Ezulwini Consensus for the town where it was agreed in eSwatini. It calls for the Security Council to be expanded to 25 or 26 members, with at least two permanent seats for Africa. Ramaphosa’s sentiments were echoed by other African leaders on Tuesday, including Angolan President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco and Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, who called for fair and equitable representation at the UN body. “Nigeria supports the expansion of the UN Security Council to reflect the diversity and dynamics of the 21st century. Africa deserves permanent seats,” Buhari said in his speech. Lourenco said there was an “urgent need for reform of the organisation so as to achieve a UN Security Council that attends better to the representation of the peoples, nations and continents”. Across Africa, countries are battling conflicts and instability – from Libya, which has not seen peace since leader Muammar Gaddafi was killed in 2011, to Somalia, South Sudan and Mali, whose president was recently overthrown by the army. Africa wants more say at the Security Council to find solutions for the instability on the continent. Sudan: one of Africa’s longest wars may be nearing end after rebel peace deal African nations join a growing push to expand the UN body – Japan, Germany, Brazil and India also want more say at the Security Council through a permanent seat. On Monday, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that “without comprehensive reforms, the UN faces a crisis of confidence”. “We cannot fight today’s challenges with outdated structures,” he said in his video address to the high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly. But there are roadblocks for all four nations in the form of their regional rivals: India is being opposed by Pakistan; Germany by Italy and Spain; Japan by South Korea; and Brazil by Mexico, Colombia and Argentina. Instead, those countries want the list of rotating members to be expanded and have proposed adding 10 new elected seats, which would take the total to 25. However, any reform would need to be voted on by the five veto-wielding powers, whose conflicting interests further complicate the situation. For instance, Britain and France are reportedly willing to relax the existing membership structure. But China is pushing to add 10 new rotating members and opposes the bids by Japan and India for permanent seats. Russia, meanwhile, does not want its power diluted by taking on new members – a stance that may see the other permanent members voting to defend their own power and influence. China lectures Zimbabwe on environmental duty and transparency after permits to mine park cancelled During his speech, Ramaphosa also called for sanctions against Zimbabwe and Sudan to be lifted, to allow their governments to respond adequately to the coronavirus pandemic. China has recently sided with African countries in advocating for an end to US sanctions imposed on Sudan, for sponsoring terrorism, and Zimbabwe, for human rights abuses and rigged elections.