By Kabs Kanu
While President Maada Bio must be commended for joining the canvassing for UN Security Council Reform, let it be understood that everything he is advocating is scripted by the African Union (AU).
Whenever he advocates for the 2 seats in the Permanent Category and additional 2 seats in the Non – Permanent, he should have added” In accordance with the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration”.
What Bio is advocating is what we referred to as the AFRICAN COMMON POSITION or the COMMON AFRICAN POSITION on the UN Security Council Reform Negotiations.
The African Union Committee of 10 African Nations (C10), of which I was one of the Coordinators for 10 years at the UN, was mandated by the AU to propound, promote and canvass this AFRICAN COMMON POSITION until Africa’s demands are met.
I am sure Bio is also including in his Advocacy that Africa be given access to the rights, privileges and prerogatives of the use of the Veto, which is also enunciated in the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration. This Veto right is for now only enjoyed in the UN Security Council by the Permanent 5 ( Called the P- 5 ).
The AU also mandated C-10 to canvass the issue of the HISTORICAL INJUSTICE TO AFRICA. This also is not new or originated from Bio. What this historical injustice entails is that ( during our days at the UN ; it may have increased by now ) about 76% of the issues handled and addressed by the UN Security Council had to do with Africa, so it was adjudged by the AU and countries and groups supporting her position that it was a historical injustice for African problems and issues to loom largest in the UN Security Council and yet Africa has no seat in the Permanent Category or enjoys the privileges and prerogatives of the Veto.
That was one of the reasons that Libyan President Gadhafi, in whose home town , Sirte, ( Pronounced Silt ) , the Sirte Declaration was agreed upon , once directed during one of our C-10 summits that we should begin to advocate that: ” OK, African is being promised 2 seats in the Permanent Category but the promise had dragged on for years and so let them give us one seat now that we will be using while awaiting the other . This will show that they are serious about having us sit as Permanent members. Ghaddaffi said it should be a dire priority.
Ghaddaffi, let it be also understood, was playing a commanding and robust role in the UN Security Council Reform negotiations. He was always ahead of the UN in his proposals.
Everything being advocate now is not new. It had started after the outcome document of the 2005 World Summit where nations reaffirmed that the UN Security Council indeed needed to be reformed in line with present realities. The AU set up the C-10. All our presidents since 2005—-Presidents Kabbah, Koroma and Bio –had advocated and canvassed the same things because they are encapsulated in the Elzuwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.
During the 10 years we served in the UN Security Council, we had the feeling that the 2 Permanent seats and the use of the Veto were always going to remain the main sticking points.
The argument of the P5 has always been that to enjoy these privileges in the Security Council, a country or block should have the economic and military prowess and resources to help address the thorny problems of the world. They actually do not want to give them and at one time were floating the INTERMEDIATE POSITION, which is a completely different position from what Ezulwini and Sirte are demanding.
The next President after Bio will advocate or canvass the same demands and any new ones that might be added. But when speaking, they all should make it clear that what they are advocating is in conformity with the AFRICAN COMMON POSITION or the COMMON AFRICAN POSITION.
Bio is not speaking for himself as his supporters erroneously think.
Let it also be drummed home that the AU voted Sierra Leone to lead the charge in Africa’s aspirations for seats in the Permanent Category, more seats in the Non- Permanent Category and rights to the Veto. Sierra Leone is therefore Chair of the C-10, the body of 10 African States mandated to canvass for Africa in the UN Security Council Reform Negotiations.
Similarly, successive Sierra Leone Permanent Representatives at the UN head the C-10. That position is not rotational.
It is important to make these clarifications so that we understand fully what is going on and we do not think that the whole exercise is a Bio show. It is not. It is all scripted and Bio is following the script. Everything he is saying now was also said by other Sierra Leone presidents before him.
But frankly speaking, I will not deny Bio praise in one key area— He has a brilliant and robust international lobby. But that will suffice for another day.
