Washington, DC — The African continent is entitled to at least one veto-wielding member at the United Nations Security Council, Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, Senegal's minister of foreign affairs, said during a visit in Washington last week.
Gadio's trip is part of a campaign to build international support for Senegal's bid to represent Africa on the UN Security Council should an African country be granted permanent member status.
Earlier this year, the African Union convened a meeting to agree on a common position on the issue of UN reform. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan acknowledged the need for change in a report issued last month, which said the Security Council should be "more broadly representative of the international community as a whole, as well as of the geopolitical realities of today."
Africa remains the region not fairly represented at the Security Council, Gadio said. "Under the existing status quo," he said, "three European countries have permanent standing with veto rights; you have the United States representing the American continent, and you have China for Asia. When it comes to Africa, there's no representation."
With five of the Security Council's 15 members holding permanent standing and veto powers, African leaders say the arrangement is unfair because most African countries were held as colonies when the Security Council was created. For Gadio, lack of representation for Africa is ironic: "African issues amount to about 70 percent of the Security Council's agenda, and yet no African country has permanent membership within the Council...This injustice must be dealt with accordingly."
The report by the Secretary General proposed two restructuring options. The first allows for the enlargement of the Security Council by adding six new permanent members (including two from Africa), without veto power. The second offers enlargement without either permanent membership or veto power. African leaders have dismissed both proposals.
"First things first," Gadio said, "Africa cannot engage in a comprehensive debate on reform without first addressing the issue of justice owed to us." The priority, he said, is to make sure the international community understands that Africa simply requests to be placed on equal footing with the rest of the world's regions.
Meanwhile African leaders have constructed a reform plan of their own. "The African Option," Gadio said, "provides for one permanent African member with veto rights, and all other issues remain open to negotiation; or we accept the two seats that have been proposed. However we demand that veto power be either abolished or granted to all."
Egypt, Kenya, Libya, Nigeria and South Africa have indicated interest in being an African representative on the Council. But Gadio said that, despite the relative importance and size of the other five nations, Senegal's chances remain high.
"Nigeria is a big country, so is Libya, but Senegal is not small," Gadio said. His country's democratic tradition, as well as its commitment to the ideals of PanAfricanism and its contribution to 28 U.N. operations across the world, make Senegal a valuable asset to the continent. "Taking all these parameters into account, frankly, Senegal has a unique position in Africa," he said.
Under U.N. rules, enlargement of the Security Council must be approved by all current permanent members, and some analysts have suggested that China might veto Senegal's entry because of the West African nation's recognition of Taiwan. But Gadio said that China holds no grudge against his country, and he also dismissed charges that France might easily manipulate Senegal. "We have no inferiority complex," he said. "If Senegal is selected by African nations, it is the African flag we will defend."
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
The final decision rests with the African Union, and Gadio indicated that Senegal will endorse the AU's choice. "If African countries, freely exercising their sovereignty in all transparency, select two nations other than Senegal, we would launch an unprecedented campaign to ensure that these countries represent African interests with dignity," he said. "We're not running against another African country. Our candidacy is for Africa."
The Secretary General's report recommended that formal discussions on reform be held when the General Assembly convenes at a summit in September. "It will take as long as necessary, but Africa must join the Security Council with one veto-wielding permanent member or two. Such is Senegal's position," Gadio said.
