from ALFRED SHILONGO in Windhoek, Namibia
Namibia Bureau
WINDHOEK, (CAJ News) – NAMIBIA’S President, Ndemupelila Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, has declared that Africa does not seek favours from the international community but demands fairness and equal recognition in shaping global peace and security.
Speaking at the Committee of Ten (C10) Summit in New York ahead of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, she reiterated Africa’s long-standing call for reform of the UN Security Council, which has excluded the continent from permanent representation for nearly eight decades.
“Africa is not asking for handouts,” Nandi-Ndaitwah said. “We are demanding our rightful place in a Council tasked with the maintenance of international peace and security, a matter that concerns us, our children and our children’s children.”
The C10—comprising Algeria, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Libya, Namibia, Senegal, Sierra Leone (chair), Uganda and Zambia—has consistently championed Africa’s demand for two permanent seats with veto power and five non-permanent seats on the Security Council.
This year’s assembly comes as the UN marks its 80th anniversary and Africa commemorates two decades since adopting the Sirte Declaration and Ezulwini Consensus, which formed the Common African Position on Security Council reform.
Debuting at the UN Assembly since assuming office earlier in 2025, Nandi-Ndaitwah also reminded world leaders that 2025 marks 30 years since the Beijing Conference on Women and 25 years of UN Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security. She emphasized that Africa’s push for representation must also ensure women’s full participation in global decision-making.
A veteran liberation fighter and Namibia’s first female president, Nandi-Ndaitwah has consistently tied continental demands for equity at the UN to broader struggles against imperialism. Earlier this year, she drew international attention by enforcing reciprocal visa restrictions on visitors from the United States, the United Kingdom and other Western nations, a move seen as a bold stance against neo-colonialism.
Her remarks echo growing frustration across Africa that despite contributing troops to peacekeeping missions and bearing the brunt of conflict, the continent remains sidelined from the world’s most powerful decision-making body.
– CAJ News