This Sunday, the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishidacommitted at a summit Japan-Africa in Tunis to “remedy a historic injustice” and press for the continent to be granted a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council.
“To act effectively” and consolidate peace and security in Africa“there is an urgent need to remedy the historic injustice” of the absence of a permanent seat for Africa in l’ONsaid Fumio Kishida, by videoconference from Tokyo.
At the Security Council in 2023 and 2024
Japan intends to “create an environment where the African people can live in peace and security so that the continent can develop”, he explained.
“Japan will strengthen its partnership with Africa” and next year, when it is on the Security Council with a non-permanent seat (2023 and 2024), it will advocate for reform. It will be “a moment of truth for the United Nations”, added the Japanese Prime Minister, who remained in Tokyo because of Covid-19.
Japan to appoint ambassador to Horn of Africa
The Security Council comprises 15 members, including five permanent members (United States, Russia, China, France and Great Britain), the other positions being held on two-year rotations by the other members of the UN.
The “peace and security” component of Japanese aid will finance the training of police officers, the holding of “fair and transparent” elections, good judicial and administrative governance and aid for border control.
Fumio Kishida also spoke of the situation “which is deteriorating with more refugees and food shortages in the Horn of Africa”, where Japan “will appoint an ambassador”.
Nearly $8.3 million in aid
The Prime Minister thanked the African Union and the ECOWAS (Community of West African States) for “their mediation in the prevention of conflicts”, considering that it is also necessary “to settle cross-border problems”.
Japan will thus offer concrete aid of 8.3 million dollars for the Liptako-Gourma region, straddling Mali, Burkina-Faso and Niger, to “develop good cooperation between residents and local authorities” and “improve administrative services for the 5 million inhabitants of this area”.
