Global Policy Forum

By Jibrin Abubakar

The jostle for the United Nations Security Council seats is dividing Africa as Egypt and Nigeria are at logger heads over each other's stance on the reform and enlargement of the Security Council. Egypt accused Nigeria of abandoning African interests to increase its own chances of obtaining a permanent seat on the UN Security Council. Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa are the main contenders for the two permanent African seats.

Nigeria, claimed it has contributed enormously to peacekeeping in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Sao Tome and Principe, as well as in Togo. According to the Chief Press Secretary to Nigeria's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Bernard C. Udeh, if the world takes stock of Nigeria's achievements, its role will be recognised. "Nigeria has been contributing to the maintenance of the UN intervention forces even before her independence in 1960", he said. He said when the UN first needed a Secretary General from Africa in 1992; it was through Nigeria's effort that Egypt produced Boutros Boutros Ghali.

However, Egyptian Foreign Minister, Ahmed Aboul Gheit, criticised Nigeria for willing to back down on the African demand that its two permanent seats in the Security Council should have veto power. He also regreted that Nigeria would also accept a total of four rather than five non-permanent seats for Africa in the council, adding that the intention was to boost its own chances of gaining a permanent seat.

Last week, Nigeria's Permanent Representative, Ambassador Aminu Wali, submitted a draft resolution on behalf of the African group at the UN which reflected the African common position after a truce between the African Group and the G4 became slippery still. Sources said when the matter comes up on which two countries to choose out of the three, Nigeria would likely emerge as number one choice among Africans, but outside of Africa is where Nigeria's chances are still dicey.

However, just before that meeting, the African countries are insisting that Africa must have two new permanent members on the Security Council with the veto privilege. According to them, it is either this or nothing. African either gets all or nothing. This group of African nations are Libya, Algeria and Egypt.

On the other hand, Nigeria and South Africa are leading most of the other African countries to suggest that it might be worthwhile for Africa to negotiate with the G4 countries now and earn two permanent seats on the council and once Africa becomes established on the council, the issue of veto power can be pursued later. According to a source, this group of Africans are saying, without being a permanent member of the council, Africa cannot start to talk of veto. And so it is being advised that Africa should first take advantage and get what is immediately available now.

Nigeria's actions came during a meeting in London, which it chaired, to hammer out a common African position. The oil-producing state "tried to subjugate the African position to narrow interests in a way which does not reflect the required transparency in dealings between African states," Gheit said. "It would abandon the fifth seat to another continent while working for its direct interest, imagining that it would thus have a better chance of obtaining a permanent seat," the minister added.

African officials were meeting in London to prepare for a meeting with foreign ministers from the Group of Four - Brazil, Germany, Japan and India, which are contenders for some of the new permanent seats. The Group of Four needs African support for their plan, which is slightly different from the plan adopted by Africa.

Aboul Gheit's remarks brought to the surface a dispute brewing for some weeks between the two big African countries. He said the Nigerian position has caused a crisis between the African representatives at the London meeting. "Many African countries opposed this Nigerian approach," he added.

While Nigeria had said the meeting reached consensus, the Egyptian delegate, Assistant Foreign Minister, Sameh Shukri, had denied that publicly, he added. "If the Nigerian approach continues, it will lead to a fracture in the African position ... The consequences of that would be grave," he added.

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