South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has voiced support for Washington’s backing of two permanent African seats on the UN Security Council.
However, Ramaphosa expressed concern about the proposal’s limitation of veto power.
On Thursday, the United States endorsed two permanent seats for African nations but proposed excluding them from veto authority.
This arrangement contrasts with the current permanent members who hold veto power.
Ramaphosa argued that Africa, home to 1.3 billion people, deserves full representation on the Security Council.
He criticized the notion of limiting Africa’s role, saying it would make the continent “second-class citizens.”
He emphasized that African countries require full participation in the UN Security Council.
Ramaphosa called for equal rights as those enjoyed by the existing permanent members.
Decisions regarding which African nations will hold the two seats should be determined by the African Union, he added.
Currently, African countries occupy three non-permanent Security Council seats, rotating every two years.
Any reform to the Council’s membership requires approval by two-thirds of the 193 UN member states and unanimous consent from the five permanent members, who are all nuclear-armed.
