PM Abiy Joins African Leaders in Calling Permanent Seat for Africa at UNSC

ADDIS ABABA – Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, has joined other African leaders in calling for an African country to be included in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

“I join other African leaders in reiterating that a continent of around 1.3 billion people needs a permanent voice and seat at the UNSC represented through a bloc,” said Prime Minister Abiy in a message posted on twitter.

“Issues and decisions that concern the continent cannot continue being addressed without continental representation,” he added.

His call came Senegalese President Macky Sall and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday denounced the “unfair” representation of Africa in the UNSC.

“… what is certain is that it is unfair that the African continent, with 54 countries, is not represented as a permanent member of the Security Council. With South Africa, with all the other countries, we will continue to fight to stop this injustice to Africa. ” President Sall said.

Africa has two to three Non-Permanent seats on the Security Council, currently held by Kenya, Tunisia and Niger. Gabon and Ghana will replace Tunisia and Niger on 1 January 2022.

President of South Africa Ramaphosa said this is unfair, calling for a permanent representation of the African people.

Africans views and thoughts, he said, “cannot be heard at that high level in the same way that the views of the countries which have the veto right are heard.”

“We want fairness, we want Africa to be well-represented and to be heard,” he said.