Africa-Press – Sierra-Leone. President Dr. Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, also serving as Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority and Coordinator of the African Union Committee of Ten (C-10) on UN Security Council Reform, has reiterated Africa’s call for permanent representation at the United Nations Security Council.
Speaking at the Seventh C-10 Summit at UN Headquarters, President Bio described the gathering as a historic occasion, coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Ezulwini Consensus and Sirte Declaration of 2005 documents that enshrine Africa’s unified position on Security Council reform. Africa seeks two permanent seats with veto power alongside two additional non-permanent seats to ensure the continent’s voice is heard in global decision-making.
“When the UN was founded in 1945, Africa had no voice. Today, the continent remains the only one without permanent representation, despite African issues dominating the Council’s agenda,” President Bio stressed. “This is not a plea for favour. It is a demand for justice to correct a historic wrong.”
The summit brought together the ten C-10 member states: Algeria, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Libya, Namibia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zambia. High-level participants included Angolan President João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, current Chair of the African Union; AU Commission Chair Mahamoud Ali Youssouf; Kenyan President William Ruto; and Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah.
President Bio praised Africa’s enduring unity on the issue, noting that no country has deviated from the common position in two decades of advocacy. “Despite our diversity, Africa has remained steadfastly aligned behind a single, principled position. That unity is our strength. No reform can succeed without a united Africa,” he said.
Highlighting recent progress, he referenced the Freetown Retreat and Lusaka Ministerial Meeting, which produced the African Union Reform Model, offering a structured blueprint for negotiations.
President Bio concluded by calling on permanent members of the Security Council to translate their recognition of Africa’s claim into tangible political action. “Africa’s demand is legitimate, non-negotiable, and just,” he declared. “Equal representation for Africa is not only an African imperative it is a global necessity.”
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