Africa Demands Permanent UN Security Council Seat as Conflicts Dominate Global Agenda
A groundbreaking analysis by Oxfam, shared exclusively with The Independent, has uncovered that over four-fifths of UN Security Council resolutions in the past decade have centered on conflicts in Africa. This staggering statistic highlights the disproportionate impact of armed struggles on the continent, driven by factors such as weak governance, soaring inequality, and escalating climate impacts. Campaigners argue this data provides compelling evidence for granting Africa a permanent seat on the Security Council, a move they say is long overdue to address global peace and security imbalances.
Research Reveals Alarming Trends in African Conflicts
The study focused on the 23 most protracted crises worldwide, including Gaza and Ukraine. Of the 437 resolutions passed concerning these crises in the last ten years, 354—or 81 percent—were related to events in Africa. Since 2016, conflicts on the continent have claimed millions of lives, displaced nearly 46 million people—a figure more than four times higher than a decade ago—and pushed 120 million individuals across 26 African nations into hunger. Five countries at the epicenter of prolonged conflict—the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sudan, and South Sudan—account for nearly two-thirds of the continent's acute food insecurity.
Africa is home to roughly 40 percent of the world's active clashes and nearly half of the armed groups of humanitarian concern, which control an estimated 102 million people. Despite this, the UN Security Council's permanent seats are held only by the victors of World War Two: the US, China, Russia, the UK, and France. While three of the ten non-permanent seats are allocated to Africa, these members lack veto power, limiting their influence on critical decisions.
Voices Call for Reform and Representation
Fati N'zi-Hassane, Oxfam in Africa Director, emphasized the urgency of change, stating, "Many of the world’s most deadly and protracted conflicts are taking place in Africa, yet the continent continues to be denied a permanent seat at the table, underscoring a long-standing imbalance in global decision-making on peace and security." She added that without proper African representation, resolutions often become unimplementable and out of touch with local needs. In the past year alone, 18 out of 20 Security Council resolutions on African conflicts authorized sanctions, peacekeeping, or military action.
N'zi-Hassane continued, "For far too long, Africa has faced unjust, disproportionate challenges stemming from the current geopolitical landscape. Key decisions affecting peace and security must be made with proper African representation. The UN Security Council must evolve to have the right people at the table." Other prominent figures, including UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and the United States, have previously advocated for a permanent African seat, with South Africa, Egypt, and Nigeria suggested as potential holders.
Climate Change Fuels Conflict and Humanitarian Crises
The analysis comes amid warnings from former UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband, now CEO of the International Rescue Committee, who cautioned that the role of climate change in global conflict is being "underestimated." While noting that major conflicts like those in Ukraine and Gaza are not primarily climate-driven, Miliband explained, "Climate change is a major contributing factor to resource stress, which is known as one of the major factors driving conflict globally." He pointed out that most of the 20 countries at highest risk of escalating humanitarian crises this year are located near the Equator, a region severely affected by climate stress.
Miliband suggested that wealthy nations, such as the UK, should increase aid to help fragile countries build climate resilience. This call aligns with broader efforts to rethink global aid strategies, as highlighted in The Independent's Rethinking Global Aid project. The Oxfam research underscores the interconnectedness of climate impacts, conflict, and representation, making a strong case for structural reforms in international governance to better address Africa's unique challenges and contributions to global security.
