South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has supported the U.S. proposal for two permanent African seats on the UN Security Council but emphasised that these seats must come with veto power to avoid “second-class” status for the continent.
On Friday, Ramaphosa expressed his approval of Washington’s backing for African representation but criticized the proposal to deny these future members veto rights, which are currently reserved for the council’s five permanent members: Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States.
He argued that if African nations were granted permanent seats without the same powers as the existing members, it would result in their unequal treatment.
The South African leader stressed the need for serious participation from Africa on the Security Council, asserting that the continent’s 1.3 billion people deserve full representation and influence in global security matters. He emphasized that the decision on which African nations should receive the two proposed permanent seats should be made by the African Union.
Currently, Africa holds three non-permanent seats on the Security Council, which rotate every two years. Any reform to the Security Council’s structure requires the adoption and ratification by two-thirds of the 193 UN member states and unanimous approval from the existing five permanent members, a process that has faced significant delays due to disagreements among these powers.