Djibouti and Kenya oppose non-permanent seat on the Security Council

The UN Security Council (illustration image) Johannes EISELE / AFP

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Next Wednesday the United Nations will vote to elect non-permanent members of the Security Council. Prestige positions granted to other countries of the world in addition to the 5 permanent members. Three seats will be allocated to Africa. They are mostly designated by consensus beforehand, with the support of the African Union. Niger and Tunisia have already been selected. But for the 3rd seat, Djibouti and Kenya are still opposed. The AU however declares that it supports Nairobi, but the Djiboutians do not agree.

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With our correspondent in Nairobi , Sébastien Németh

The diplomatic fight is raging. On Tuesday, the AU wrote to foreign UN delegations to reiterate its support for Kenya. The organization is based on a vote in August 2019, by its Committee of Representatives, during which Nairobi had been chosen. But Djibouti disputes and sent a virulent letter again on Wednesday.

“  There was a disregard for the settlement with an arbitrary and unjust decision. The texts are clear, the final choice was to be ratified at the summit of heads of state in April. It never was. We are in the illegality  , explains a diplomat.

Some consider it the third seat yet returned to Kenya , because the other two places were awarded to French-speaking nations. Daoud Houmed recognizes the strong lobbying of Nairobi with English speakers, however, the spokesperson of the majority sweeps away this argument ... According to him, it is the turn of Djibouti, which only sat on the Council once in 1993 , while Kenya was a member in 77 and 97.

"  The approach of some seems discriminatory,  " he says, without citing a name. Daoud Houmed said he was nevertheless confident. He cites among other things Djibouti's fight against terrorism, its participation in UN missions or the accommodation of foreign soldiers on its soil. “  Our diplomacy is in full swing. We will win this battle,  ”concluded Daoud Houmed.

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  • Kenya
  • Djibouti
  • UN
  • Diplomacy

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