Mbeki at summit on UN seats

2005-08-02 19:47

Johannesburg - President Thabo Mbeki cancelled a state visit to Congo on Tuesday to attend an emergency African Union summit on the continent's demand for permanent seats on the United Nations security council.

A foreign ministry spokesperson said: "The scheduled state visit to Congo-Brazzaville has now been postponed on account of the extra-ordinary summit of the AU" in Addis Ababa on Thursday."

Mbeki was on a state visit to Gabon, from where he was expected to travel to Congo on Wednesday.

The ministry said the Addis Ababa summit had been called to "ratify recommendations of the AU and G4 (India, Brazil, Japan and Germany) ministers held in London.

"The summit was held on the question of the extension of the veto for new permanent members as well as an additional seat for Africa in the proposed reformed UN security council".

It said: "The implication is that Africa will now call for two permanent seats, one extra non-permanent seat while sharing an additional seat with other developing regions in the reformed UN security council."

The UN security council was composed of 15 members, of whom five - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - had veto power, while 10 non-permanent seats were elected for a two-year term.

- AFP