ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron wrapped up his African tour on Wednesday with discussions in Ethiopia focusing on the long-debated issue of giving Africa a voice on the U.N. Security Council.
The French leader met with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed before sitting down with African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf and U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres to talk about making international governance more inclusive.
According to a meeting summary, the officials “recognized the need for African representation.”
Macron’s African journey took him through Egypt, Kenya and Ethiopia, where he advocated for greater African participation in global institutions like the U.N. Security Council.
Speaking at the Africa Forward Summit, which France and Kenya jointly organized and marked the first time the event was held in an English-speaking nation, Macron acknowledged Africa’s need for permanent council positions.
The summit concluded with a peace and security statement that emphasized “the urgent need for a comprehensive reform of the U.N. Security Council to make it more effective and representative.”
African nations have long pushed for permanent membership based on current global demographics, with continental organizations pointing out that a continent with over 1.4 billion residents lacks permanent decision-making authority.
Guterres stated Wednesday that global affairs would improve with a more inclusive U.N. Security Council.
“A Security Council that today does not represent geographically the realities of the world. We have three European permanent members, one North American and one Asian. No Latin American, no African is obviously a Security Council that has a problem of legitimacy, and that brings with it a problem of effectiveness,” he said.
Following Macron’s meeting with Abiy, officials revealed a new $63.9 million loan agreement to support Ethiopia’s renewable energy initiatives and digital transformation efforts.
At the Africa Forward Summit, Macron announced that French government and private investors would commit $27 billion in funding to promote sustainable development throughout the continent.
