African states has stepped up its efforts for a permanent representation on the United Nations Security Council, and the issue took center stage at the 13th Ministerial Meeting of the African Union’s Committee of Ten (C-10) in Lusaka, Zambia, on Wednesday.
The meeting focused on the Common African Position (CAP), which advocates for at least two permanent and five non-permanent seats on the Security Council for Africa. The effort illustrated the continent’s long-standing frustrations over its exclusion from the council’s top decision-making level.
In a statement made on his behalf by Defense Minister Ambrose Lufuma, Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema said Africa’s lack of a permanent seat hinders its ability to influence global peace and security, especially amid escalating conflicts and changing geopolitical dynamics across the continent.
Zambian Foreign Minister Mulambo Haimbe described Africa’s exclusion as a “major historical anomaly” and reaffirmed the continent’s commitment to reshape the council to reflect current global realities.
UN General Assembly President Philemon Yang, through his representative Ivor Fung, said Africa had been asked to formalise the lobby framework to guide ongoing reform discussions and help address the legacies of colonialism and systemic marginalisation.
Bankole Adeoye, Head of Political Affairs, Peace and Security at the African Union Commission, reiterated that the permanent representation was in line with the AU’s broader mandate to foster peace and stability on the continent.
Sierra Leone Foreign Minister Alhaji Kabba, who co-chaired the meeting with Haimbe, reiterated calls for unity and urgency to meaningfully reform the Security Council structure.