African countries are reportedly threatening to withdraw from the United Nations Security Council unless they are allocated a permanent seat.
Some prominent African leaders, according to Onyango Kakooba – executive chairman for the African Parliamentary Alliance for UN Reforms – are planning to petition the UN demanding a post on the Security Council.
It is injustice on the side of the African countries not to be represented [at the Security Council]
Kookoba said the African leaders say if their demands were not met, the continent would pull out of the UN body by 2020.
“We oppose the current status at the UN Security Council, which has only five [permanent] members and leaving out Africa, which actually has more security problems compared with the current five members,” he told journalists in Kampala on Wednesday.
The UN Security Council has 10 non-permanent members who serve on a two-year rotational basis. United States, China, Russian Federation, United Kingdom and France occupy the five permanent seats.
“It is injustice on the side of the African countries not to be represented [at the Security Council, as] it has the majority representation in the UN with 54 percent”, Kakooba said.
A Ugandan University political science lecturer Robert Kayika weighed in saying the status quo was “an abuse to Africans.”
“It is ironical that Africa, with over 50 countries is not represented on the UN Security Council,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kakooba said there was need for more reforms to protect the rights of journalists and advance freedom of expression on the continent. He said such reforms would improve people’s lives.
Source:www.theafricareport.com