Explained: Why Africa may miss out on UN Security Council seat

United Nations Security Council (UNSC). [Courtesy] The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has recently gained renewed attention, with conversations on Africa's inclusion picking up momentum. The council is composed of five permanent members, Russia, the United States, China, the United Kingdom, and France, each wielding veto power. This means any of them can unilaterally block a resolution, even when the others are in agreement, to protect their national interests. The other 10 seats are non-permanent and distributed regionally. Africa currently holds just three of these 15 seats, represented by Sierra Leone, Algeria, and Mozambique. Yet, given that African nations make up 28 percent of UN membership, the continent's underrepresentation on one of the UN's most powerful bodies has sparked growing discontent. Speaking at the Seventh Summit of the African Union Committee of 10 Heads of State and Government (C-10) on Security Council reform, President William Ruto underscored the imbalance. He argued that Africa shoulders a disproportionate share of the council's agenda while remaining the only continent without permanent representation. Africa is seeking two permanent seats on the UNSC and two additional non-permanent seats, thereby increasing its share of non-permanent representation to five.While the demand has been praised, experts warn that the road ahead is steep. Dr Hassan Khannenje, Director of the HORN International Institute for Strategic Studies, acknowledged the importance of the debate but questioned its feasibility given current geopolitical realities. "While in theory we see there is a movement towards including Africans in the UN, the environment geopolitically is not allowing, especially right now, where there is no consensus among the major powers on almost anything," he noted. He further observed that even within Africa, consensus on which country would occupy a permanent seat and how representation would be structured remains elusive. Khannenje also pointed to another challenge: Africa's limited financial muscle within the UN system. "African solutions to African problems are only possible with African money. You cannot be respected if you bring nothing to the table, and you can never set the agenda if someone else is paying for the agenda; they will set what favours them," he said. "Even as we demand the reform, we need to raise our contribution to what we bring to the table." Foreign policy expert Ahmed Hashii echoed this concern, emphasising the need for Africa to build its own capacity. According to him, "We need to strengthen our own internal mechanisms, and in that way, they come to the table and say we have done this and that. It makes sure our contributions can be taken to the UN with the support of the world." Both experts agree that while Africa's demand for representation is legitimate, the priority should be consolidating and strengthening the African Union to bolster the continent's bargaining power. For African leaders, however, the push for UNSC reform remains a pressing concern. Yet, as Khannenje and Hashii suggest, the motivations might also be tied to the continent's continued reliance on external funding, a dynamic that undermines its leverage in global power structures.

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Explained: Why Africa may miss out on UN Security Council seat

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