African Union seeks entry into UN Security Council

Information on Africa, especially Sudan, is coming from so many excellent sources, especially Sudan Watch readers. Comments and emails are warmly welcomed and appreciated, thank you.

Thanks to a non-blogging Sudan Watch reader here in the UK for posting commentary pointing us to an article in Namibian Environment News 24 February 2006 by Fluksman Samuehl, a former Member of UK Parliament and Karas Regional Councillor who is currently studying towards a Master's Degree in International Relations and Strategic Studies at the University of Lancaster in the UK. I have cross posted the article in full at PoTP 24 Feb 2006.

The British reader, who shares the same initials as this blog author, IJ, says:

"This article tells us that Africa is claiming a bigger role in the United Nations. The UN Millennium Declaration in 2000 was really a springboard for the African Union's petition for "two permanent seats with full privileges including veto power, and add five more non-permanent seats on the world's elite political platform, the UNSC."

However, even if the fundamental problem of economics is set aside, there remains an assumption that the 53 countries in the AU can agree common policies: it is pointed out that they still have no common foreign and security policy - but this is not unusual for an international grouping. See, for example, the confusion in the European Union or NATO.

Does Africa have the economic power for its ambitions? Chequebook diplomacy suggests that China is developing much influence not only in Sudan, but in many countries."

Note to Sudan Watch readers (who are from all over the world and many parts of Africa): please feel free anytime to comment or email news or links to reports for sharing here, even if it is just a few lines or photo. Email address is in sidebar. Thanks. Due to time involved in tracking news and posting at several blogs on humanitarian crises in Africa, it is not always possible to respond personally right away.