South African President Cyril Ramaphosa welcomed U.S. support for two permanent African seats on the UN Security Council on Friday.
However, he criticized the exclusion of veto rights, arguing it would make African nations “second-class citizens.”
The U.S. announced its support on Thursday, stating that the new seats should not have veto power.
Currently, only Britain, China, France, Russia, and the U.S. have veto rights on the Security Council.
Ramaphosa emphasized that Africa, with 1.3 billion people, deserves full representation on the Security Council.
He stated that denying veto rights would undermine Africa’s role and participation in global decisions.
Ramaphosa insisted that the African Union should decide which nations would hold the two permanent seats.
African nations currently have three non-permanent seats on the Security Council, rotating every two years.
Any changes to the Security Council’s membership require approval from two-thirds of the 193 UN member states.
Additionally, reforms must be unanimously ratified by the five permanent, nuclear-armed members.
Ramaphosa’s comments highlight ongoing debates about equitable representation in international institutions.