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Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi on Saturday reiterated his demand for structural changes in the United Nations Security Council. Africa A bigger role in shaping global decisions.
El-Sisi advocated for a “more pluralistic” world order at a conference on Russia-Africa partnership. cairoparticipated in Russian Foreign Minister sergey lavrov and ministers from more than 50 African countries, as well as representatives of several African and regional organizations.
“Africa’s voice must be present and influential in global decision-making, given the continent’s humanitarian, economic, political and demographic importance,” el-Sisi said in a statement read by his foreign minister at the conference’s plenary session. He said international financial institutions need to undergo similar reforms to ensure equal representation for Africa.
Since 2005, the African Union has been demanding that Africa be given two permanent seats with veto powers on the Security Council, arguing that such reforms would contribute to achieving peace and stability on the continent, which has been plagued by wars for decades.
The Security Council, which is charged with maintaining international peace and security, has not changed from its 1945 configuration: 10 non-permanent members from all regions of the world elected for two-year terms without veto power, and five countries that were major powers at the end of World War II are permanent members with veto power: the United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France.
In his statement, al-Sisi said the Russia-Africa ministerial conference would develop plans to strengthen the partnership ahead of next year’s heads of state summit.
“We remain a reliable partner in strengthening the national sovereignty of African states in political and security matters, as well as in other dimensions,” Lavrov told the plenary session. “We are committed to further unlocking the existing enormous potential of our practical cooperation.”
The forum has gained momentum following the 2023 summit in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, where President Vladimir Putin sought the support of African leaders and broke the political and economic isolation imposed on Russia by Western countries following its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has also expanded its military footprint in Africa, delivering sophisticated weapons to sub-Saharan conflict zones, where the Kremlin-controlled military unit that replaced Wagner mercenaries is active.