Africa demands a voice Mudavadi push for UN Security Council reform in Lusaka – Switch News

LUSAKA —As the sun rose over Lusaka, African leaders gathered with a single, urgent message: the United Nations Security Council must change and Africa must finally have a seat at the table.

Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, is among the high-ranking officials attending the 13th Ministerial Meeting of the African Union’s Committee of Ten, known as the C-10. The group has long championed Africa’s case for inclusion on the world’s most powerful security body.

“We are more than 1.4 billion people,” Mr Mudavadi said during the opening session. “Yet we remain on the margins when it comes to decisions about peace, war, and global security. That must change.”

The Call for a Fairer Council

The meeting, hosted in the Zambian capital, is part of Africa’s ongoing campaign for reforms to the UN Security Council. The committee formed by the African Union and made up of ten member states has been pushing what is known as the Common African Position.

The group is calling for at least two permanent seats for Africa, with full veto powers, and two additional non-permanent seats. The argument is simple: the Security Council’s structure reflects the power balance of 1945, not today’s world.

“The current system excludes Africa from key decisions that directly affect the continent,” Mr Mudavadi said. “We are advocating not for privilege, but for fairness.”

His remarks echoed the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration, two foundational AU documents that outline Africa’s vision for a more inclusive global order.

A United Front

The Committee of Ten includes Kenya, Algeria, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Libya, Namibia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and host nation Zambia. Together, they form the diplomatic spearhead for Africa’s push on this issue.

Delegates say the demand for reform is not just about politics, but also about correcting what they see as a historic injustice.

“We’ve been sidelined for too long,” said one senior AU diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity. “This is about repairing decades of imbalance and making global governance truly global.”

The meeting’s agenda also touched on the link between peace, development, and innovation. Another bloc within the AU is calling for greater investment in education, science, and technology seen as essential tools for Africa’s future.

Bilateral Diplomacy in the Margins

Away from the formal sessions, Mr Mudavadi is expected to hold one-on-one meetings with Zambian officials and foreign ministers from across the continent. These conversations are likely to focus on strengthening alliances and building momentum ahead of the next UN General Assembly in New York.

“It’s about strategy,” a Kenyan official said. “Reform of the Security Council won’t happen overnight. But we need to keep pressing, keep negotiating, and keep the issue on the agenda.”

An Uphill Battle

Reforming the Security Council is a tall order. Any change requires support from at least two-thirds of UN member states and no veto from the five current permanent members: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia, and China.

Many Western powers say they agree in principle with reform, but progress has been slow. Behind closed doors, diplomats say there is concern that expanding the Council could dilute its authority or complicate decision-making.

But African leaders remain undeterred.

“We’re not asking to be favoured,” said Mr Mudavadi. “We’re asking to be heard, and to be part of shaping the world we all live in.”

As the Lusaka talks continue, Africa’s message is clear: a more peaceful and equitable world cannot be built without the continent’s full and rightful place in it.

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