SOUTH African President Cyril Ramaphosa has welcomed the United States’ support for granting Africa two permanent seats on the UN Security Council, but strongly rejected the idea that these seats should lack veto power. He argued that denying veto rights would effectively make African nations ‘second-class citizens.’
On Thursday, Washington expressed backing for two permanent African seats but proposed they should not have veto authority, a privilege currently held by the five permanent members: Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States.
At a press conference on Friday, Ramaphosa stressed that excluding the veto would undermine Africa’s participation on the council, stating, ‘A continent of 1.3 billion people deserves proper representation. Denying Africa the same rights as other permanent members means we become second-class citizens once again.’
‘Serious participation’
‘We demand and require serious participation on the UN Security Council,’ Ramaphosa insisted. ‘Africa cannot accept second-class participation on this global platform.’
He also emphasised that the African Union should decide which nations would occupy the two seats. Currently, African countries hold three non-permanent seats on the Security Council, rotating every two years.
Any restructuring of the council’s membership would require the approval and ratification of two-thirds of the 193 UN member states. Additionally, it would need unanimous consent from the current permanent members, all of whom wield nuclear arsenals.
The debate over reforming the Security Council has long been stalled, largely due to divisions among its top members. Ramaphosa’s call highlights Africa’s growing demand for a fairer role in global governance.
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