It is intolerable that the continent of Africa feels the want of a permanent representation in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) in the face of repeated calls from various African leaders and scholars at different points in time.
Notwithstanding the fact that Africans have been moving heaven and earth to persuade the UN to give Africa a permanent seat, the council still has remained giving the cold shoulder to the unvarnished truth and paying no heed to the existing reality on the ground.
It is a well-known fact that since its establishment, the Security Council on many occasions has been turning a blind eye to the circumstances on the ground and concrete realities under the pretext of a diverse range of unforeseen reasons that go behind closed curtains.
As Africa lacks a permanent representation in the UNSC, the continent at different points of time has been going through tough times and facing great difficulties.
For the love of encroaching on the territorial sovereignty of the continent of Africa and twisting its arm, some world powers have sustained bending over backwards to make their verdict in the internal affairs of Africa making use of their general assembly in the resolution in the absence of Africa.
Most of the decisions made by the UNSC unaccompanied by Africa on the subject of the continent have been discriminatory, unjustifiable and unendurable.
United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres said that Africa’s request for permanent seat at the UN Security Council is appropriate and fair, according to information obtained from local media.
It should be borne in mind that the Secretary-General, who was in Addis Ababa to participate at the 36th African Union summit held talks with President Sahle-Work Zewde.
During the occasion, Gutérres hailed the peace process in Ethiopia pledging UN’s continued support to strengthen peace in Ethiopia and the region.
Africans are not represented at the UNSC which was formed following the end of the Second World War and has five permanent members with veto power.
The council has been criticized by many for it doesn’t provide opportunity for Africa’s voice to be heard at the international forums. Hence, the African Union and its member states have been repeatedly requesting for a permanent seat at the council.
Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) in a speech he delivered at the 36th AU summit requested for Africa to be represented at the UN Security Council with at least one permanent seat and double non-permanent seats.
The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in the recent past that it is entirely fair that the representation of Africa at the UNSC with a permanent member would be granted.
“It is true that …the African countries did not yet exist with the exception of Ethiopia when the UNSC was formed. And it is entirely fair that the representation of Africa in the Security Council with a permanent member would be granted. Of course it doesn’t depend on me; it depends on the member states. But it is very understandable and just aspiration,” the secretary general elaborated.
It is common knowledge that in spite of the fact that the UNSC is composed of assorted member states, most of the decision-making process is undertaken by some nations that have the veto power with the intention of putting unjustified foreign pressure.
In a similar vein, although African nations have been encouraging the agenda of securing permanent seats at various moments in the UNSC, yielding a return in the near future turned out to be like attempting to discover a needle in a haystack.
Lack of equal representation of Africa in the UNSC for a long time has been critiqued by every Tom, Dick, and Harry worldwide despite the envisioned goal failed to bear fruits.
The call by African nations to have a permanent seat at UNSC without a shred of a doubt is mandatory. Everyone should follow in the footstep of African leaders. Unless Africa makes its dream become a reality on the subject of the issue, attaining the desired goal will turn out to be an unattainable dream.
To tackle such matters and long-lasting complaints by Africans and other developing nations, the Security Council should take the case seriously and spare no effort to give an answer to Africa’s question without batting an eyelid.
The European Union backs Africa’s quest for ‘a proportional and permanent representation’ in United Nations Security Council (UNSC) said the EU Delegation to the African Union.
EU is in favor of AU’s bid for a proper representation not only in UNSC but also in all multilateral forums, Ambassador Javier Nino Perez in the recent past told The Ethiopian Herald exclusively.
The Ambassador recalled that the European bloc has strongly supported AU’s accession to the G20. It was even engaged in the dialogue with non-European G20 members supporting the African bid. Later, the continent was admitted to the club of 20.
This is an example to follow to reform other multilateral institutions like the UNSC. “We are extremely pleased that AU will sit together with its sister organizations. This reflects the logic of having Africa more meaningfully represented in the international forum,” the Ambassador said.
Accordingly, UNSC, as to the Ambassador, is to be reformed and necessitates the consent of the five permanent members, three of whom are not European nations. “What Africa needs to do is to engage in a dialogue with those five permanent states and with the rest of international communities to reform the security bloc,” he added.
Similarly, the Ambassador stated that the majority of EU countries see migration as a positive development; adding, “Europe is a continent that is aging that necessitates young people, and Africa is the youngest continent.”
The two blocs are working through a process that builds on integration, protection, settlement and development. “We work on not just migrants coming to Europe; we are trying to work on the root causes that lead many Africans leave their countries. We want to create conditions that will enable the majority of Africans to stay in their countries. That is what we all want,” the Ambassador elaborated.
“There are statistics that clearly signal that there is no link between high levels of migrants with insecurity; rather figures show positive impact of migrants coming to Europe.”
If the council continues deliberately ignoring the urgent demand of the continent, Africa will continue to be a victim in the international stage. It is true that African nations in the present circumstances have been insisting on permanent seats on the UNSC for the reason that it plays a huge role in smoothing the path of engaging in decision-making with regard to their own issues.
As decisions regarding African nations have been made by a few power blocs treating the continent lopsidedly and unjustifiably, Africa time and time again has been encountering a difficult circumstance. In relation to the biased representation of Africa in the UNSC, most African frontrunners have been articulating their disappointment.
In an exclusive interview with ENA, Director of Institute for Peace and Security Studies and commissioner of the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission (ENDC), Yonas Adaye in the recent past said, “Issues concerning Africa have been most of the time decided in the absence of Africa. That is absolutely unfair, unjust and unacceptable.”
So, if Africa needs its independence, it should be represented permanently in the United Nations Security Council. Its issues must be discussed and deliberated in the presence of African representatives, he added. In this regard, the African Union has the highest stake in making the request of African leaders for permanent seats at the UNSC a reality.
“The African Union should immediately float the agenda and at the same time get engaged, have robust discussions, engage intellectuals and leaders, and promote the idea.”
According to Yonas, the African Union should promote this agenda by preventing the challenges of division within and making all leaders stand together for this noble cause together.
This requires the political commitment of each and every country leader of Africa, the scholar noted, adding that Africans should prepare themselves to pay any sacrifice so as to obtain the demanded seats.
All countries in Africa should definitely unite in this case, and people in the diaspora as well have to unanimously voice against neo-colonialism on the continent.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
BY ADDISALEM MULAT
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD WEDNESDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2024
