Sarkozy backs bigger UN say for Africa
CAROLE LANDRY
French President Nicolas Sarkozy said on Monday that Africa should
have a permanent seat on the United Nations (UN) Security Council,
calling the lack of representation “unacceptable”.
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(From L to R) Presidents of Cameroon Paul Biya, of Malawi Bingu
wa Mutharika, of France Nicolas Sarkozy, of South Africa Jacob
Zuma and Prime minister of Ethiopia Meles Zenawi give a press
conference during the 25th Africa-France summit on June 1, 2010
in Nice, southeastern France. AFP |
He was speaking at the 25th Africa-France summit in Nice, attended by
38 African heads of state, including President Jacob Zuma and Nigerian
leader Goodluck Jonathan.
France is seeking to renew its Africa ties at the two-day summit,
which will touch on global governance and Africa’s campaign for more of
a say at the security council, the top UN decision-making body.
“I am deeply convinced it is no longer possible to discuss major
world issues without the presence of Africa,” Sarkozy said. “None of the
problems, absolutely none of the problems that the world faces today,
can be resolved without the active participation of the African
continent.”
He did not specify how an African representative should obtain a seat
on the 15-member council, which has China, France, Russia, UK and the US
as its only permanent members.
Sarkozy said, “Africa is our future”, and it was time to stop
sidelining the continent from international forums. He pledged to back
UN reform to give African states a greater say. With its rich resources,
Africa would drive world growth for decades to come. “A failed Africa
would be a tragedy for Europe,” Sarkozy warned. Giving Africa a strong
voice in world governance is a key theme of the summit as France
prepares to take the helm of the Group of Eight and Group of 20 clubs of
rich economies next year. SA is the only African G-20 member. In a
first, 210 French business leaders, including top bosses at oil giant
Total and nuclear behemoth Areva, are taking part in summit talks along
with 150 heads of African companies.
The push on the economic front comes as France has taken a back seat
to China, Africa’s biggest trade partner, which has injected billions
over the past decade to tap into raw materials. There are three African
countries. Many see that structure as a holdover from the Cold War and
argue Africa needs stronger representation, given that 27 percent of UN
member states are African.
“When there is a serious economic crisis in the world, we cannot
continue to, make decisions without Africa,” Congolese President Denis
Sassou Nguesso said ahead of the summit. “Africa cannot continue to be
the fifth wheel and the UN Security Council cannot continue to be
without Africa.”
Sapa-AFP, Reuters |
