Nairobi, Kenya- President William Ruto has renewed calls for Africa to unite in pressing for long-overdue reforms at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), insisting that the continent’s continued exclusion from permanent membership is “unacceptable and indefensible.”
Africa’s Case for a Permanent Seat
Speaking at the 7th Summit of the Committee of Ten (C-10) on UN Security Council reform in New York, Ruto emphasized that Africa shoulders a disproportionate share of the Council’s agenda—from conflicts in Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo to peacekeeping missions in Somalia—yet remains the only continent without a permanent seat.
“Yet we remain the only continent without permanent representation. This historic injustice must end. The time to act is now,” he said, noting that Africa is also among the top contributors to UN peacekeeping operations.
Ruto stressed that African leaders must amplify the continent’s voice at bilateral, regional, and multilateral platforms, and stand firm behind the Common African Position on Security Council reforms, which demands at least two permanent seats with full privileges and five non-permanent seats for Africa.
Unity, Responsibility, and Credibility
The summit, chaired by Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio and attended by leaders including Angola’s João Lourenço, Namibia’s Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and African Union Commission chair Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, echoed the urgency of Africa’s demand.
President Ruto also challenged African leaders to demonstrate readiness to shoulder the responsibilities that come with permanent membership, including agreeing on how representatives would be selected.
“This is a delicate and complex undertaking, but also an opportunity to show Africa’s maturity, cohesion, and vision for an effective international order,” he said.
For Ruto, the credibility of the UN hinges on whether it delivers long-denied justice and representation for Africa. “No reform can succeed without a united Africa,” added President Maada Bio, calling the demand “legitimate, non-negotiable, and just.”
The Push for Justice on the Global Stage
Other African leaders reinforced the urgency of reform. President Lourenço noted that the UN was founded on the principle of justice, yet Africa remains sidelined.
Namibia’s Nandi-Ndaitwah urged current Security Council members to support Africa’s cause and “be on the right side of history.”
Youssouf of the AU Commission was blunt: without African representation, the Security Council continues to perpetuate an imbalance that undermines global governance. “Africa will no longer wait on the margins of history,” he said.
As the 80th UN General Assembly continues in New York, the C-10 leaders hope their collective voice will amplify Africa’s push for a fairer international order—one that recognizes the continent’s growing role in global peace, security, and development.
