African Heads of State are today meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, for the 26th Ordinary Session of the African Union General Assembly.

Some of the issues to be discussed at the summit include; appropriate approaches to address the ongoing crises in Burundi and South Sudan as well as Africa’s representation at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Despite the fact that all African countries are members of the United Nations, the continent is yet to have permanent representation at the 15 member Security Council.

Currently, the 54 African states are represented by two non-permanent members, Angola which took over from Rwanda last year, and Egypt, which joined UNSC this year. Non-permanent members serve two years each.

Five out of the fifteen members have permanent representation at the council, representing Europe, America and Asia.

The permanent members are Britain, France, China, the United States and Russia.

The council, set up in 1946, is the United Nations’ most powerful body due to its role in shaping world affairs. The body has the authority to make binding decisions on global war and peace situations.

International law and security experts have called on the African Heads of States to push relentlessly for Africa’s representation at the council.

The experts say that it is unfair that, Africa is yet to be adequately represented at the council.

Speaking to Saturday Times, Dr John Musemakweri, a Kigali-based independent peace and security consultant, said that the impacts of the security council in addressing conflicts, atrocities and security situations across the continent had been limited by the inadequate representation of Africa.

He said that it was hard for the council to make decisions regarding security situations in Africa without proper background and inputs from the continent.

"Despite the United Nations Security Council authority and power, there is a problem in the structure due to its composition,” Dr Musemakweri said.

He added that the non-permanent basis by which African countries sat on the council was not enough to provide inputs over a long period of time.

He cited an example of the Burundian conflict which was being looked into by UNSC members, a majority of whom lacked a clear understanding of the situation.

He added that with a permanent African representation at the summit, there was likely to be greater cooperation with regional bodies such as the African Union and East African Community helping in ensuring peace and security across the continent.

Among the international security solutions that experts say have lacked a regional context probably limiting effectiveness is the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in DR Congo (Monusco).

The mission, which was deployed in 1999, is one of the largest UN missions in the world with around 20,000 peacekeepers with a budget of an estimated $1.35 billion annually.

However, the mission is still yet to pursue and eliminate the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) despite prior warnings that they would disarm them if they do not voluntarily surrender.

The most recent deadline to disarm was January 2015.

Vested western Interests

The Rwandan Chapter of the Pan-African Movement also added its voice to the call to secure an African representation at the Security Council, saying the addition was long overdue.

Protais Musoni, the chairperson of the movement in Rwanda, said lack of adequate representation on the council had seen some security situations and crises mishandled in the past due to lack of an understanding of issues at hand.

Musoni said the inadequate representation at the council could lead some to think that western powers represented at the summit had a vested interest and were benefiting directly from African challenges and conflicts.

"We need to be at the table if we are to find solutions to challenges that affect us,” he said.

Giving a historical context to the state of affairs at the Security Council, researchers say that the council was formed by winners of the Second World War in 1946, automatically disqualifying African countries.

Dr Eric Ndushabandi, a researcher at the Centre for Conflict Management said the council was set up in a different context and yet now there was a new world order and environment which ought to be reflected in the United Nations’ security council composition.

"Historically, Africa has been left out in many aspects but the new world order requires that it be adequately represented in the United Nation’s systems,” he said.

He noted that the continent had challenged most aspects of the previous order of affairs by exhibiting development in multiple aspects.

He added the UNSC was obliged to review the change of dynamics and have the political will to make reforms that take into account the development.

This, he said, could make the Security Council a democratic body that reflects the needs of its members.

It is estimated that about 60 per cent of the affairs discussed at UNSC are issues about the African continent.

This he added showed the need to have adequate representation of the continent at the table.

Is Africa ready for UNSC?

He, however, said that Africa too ought to make some internal reforms to be able to have a common voice if and when they join the council.

This, he said, would require the continent to rise above the common narratives such as bad governance and corruption.

Ndushabandi noted that the complexity of the continent in terms of different voices, needs and interests would probably make it hard to have a common voice at the council. He advised on the need for regional integration and a Pan-African ideology to have a unified voice.

Africa has resources and valuable inputs to bring to the United Nation Security Council, he added.

Rwanda was a non-permanent member of the council between 2013 and 2015.

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