South Africa is positive about the US intention to support the creation of two new permanent seats on the UN Security Council for African countries, but believes that these countries should have similar powers to other members of the Security Council, including the right of veto.
South African President Cyril Methamel Ramaposa said at a meeting with journalists in Pretoria, according to the Report.
‘We welcome the US intention to give Africa two seats on the Security Council as permanent member states,’ Ramaposa said. – ‘Africa has been fighting for equal participation in the UNSC for years because the absence of the continent of 1.3 billion people diminishes the role of the UN.’
Ramaposa said the US failure to support giving veto power to the new potential SC members posed a problem. ‘We will demand that the new permanent members of the Security Council have rights similar to those of the current members,’ the head of state said. – Without this, we become second-class countries vis-à-vis the current permanent members of the SC. It is good that Africa will be among the permanent members of the UNSC, but we need to move on and prevent the emergence of second-role countries among the permanent members of the Security Council,’ he said.
