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African leaders renew call for reforms in the UN Security Council

Xinhua, January 31, 2016 Adjust font size:

The United Nations Security Council must embark on comprehensive reforms to reflect diversity and enhance its policing role, African leaders said on Saturday during their annual summit in Addis Ababa.

Led by the outgoing AU Chairperson and Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, the leaders were unanimous that reforms in the UN Security Council were long overdue so as to strengthen its capacity to respond to global crisis.

"During our recent meeting in Swaziland, we discussed reforms in the UN Security Council and declared that two permanent memberships at the council should be reserved for the African continent," Mugabe remarked during the opening ceremony of the AU Heads of State Summit in Addis Ababa.

The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon attended the opening ceremony of the African leaders summit that will discuss terrorism, conflicts, global economic slowdown and reforms in the UN Security Council.

Mugabe reiterated Africa's common position on the need to hasten the reform process at the UN security Council in the light of evolving dynamics.

"We will not relent in our call for reforms in the UN Security Council," said Mugabe adding that survival of the UN hinges on equal treatment of all its members.

Currently, the African Continent has three non-permanent members to UN Security Council that includes Angola, Egypt and Senegal.

However, the three African countries have no veto powers and have minimal sway on critical decisions made at the council.

There is a feeling among Africa's political and diplomatic elites the continent has negligible clout at the UN despite contributing the highest number of members to the global body.

During his address at the AU Heads of State Summit, Mugabe stated that granting two African countries permanent memberships to the UN Security Council will boost the credibility of the United Nations and the entire multilateral system.

"If the UN is to survive, we must be treated as equal members," Mugabe remarked. Endit