South Sudan President, Salva Kiir delivers his remarks from Juba in a video message to the UN General Assembly on Monday 21, Sep, 2020. Credit| UNIFEED

President Salva Kiir has added his voice to the demand by the African Union for two permanent seats at the UN Security Council.

The Security Council has ten non-permanent members -in addition to the five permanent members.

Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States are considered as permanent members.

No African country enjoys that privilege.

The Council is charged with, among other duties, ensuring international peace and security, establishing peacekeeping operations, enacting international sanctions, and authorizing military action.

African countries have long called for reforms within the UN’s most powerful organ.

In its 7th extraordinary session in 2005, the AU first said its goal is to be fully represented in all the decision- making organs of the UN.

The continental body demanded not less than two permanent seats be allocated to Africa with all the prerogatives and privileges of permanent membership including the right of veto.

In June, Kenya won a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council after defeating Djibouti to replace South Africa.

Tunisia and Niger are other African representatives who can not veto any resolution imposed by the permanent members.

In his first official address to the UN General Assembly in several years, President Kiir used the opportunity to echo the calls for permanent representations of Africa at UN Security Council.

“75 years since the founding of the United Nations, the geopolitical realities in the world have changed and the UN Security Council remains the same,” said Kiir from Juba during the virtual event on Monday.

The UN Security Council is the principal decision-making organ of the UN in matters relating to international peace and security.

Since 2014, the body has issued individual sanctions and imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan due to political and military conflicts.

Some former and current government and opposition figures have also been slapped with travel restrictions, and their businesses have been banned by most of the permanent members of the Security Council.

President Kiir insists that the reforms envisioned will benefit African countries.

“Africans demand this because we are the most affected by the Council’s decisions and resolutions,” he stressed.

This is the first time since the independence of South Sudan that the President has addressed the UN General Assembly.

He has oftentimes sent his deputies to represent him in New York.