French President Emmanuel Macron concluded his Africa visit on Wednesday with talks in Ethiopia, addressing the longstanding issue of Africa's representation on the United Nations Security Council. During his discussions with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, and UN Secretary-General António Guterres, the leaders emphasized the need for inclusive international governance.
According to a readout from the meeting, the leaders recognized the necessity of African representation on the Security Council. Macron, who also visited Egypt and Kenya during his trip, had previously called for enhanced representation of Africa in international institutions.
Speaking at the Africa Forward Summit, co-hosted by France and Kenya and held for the first time in an English-speaking country, Macron acknowledged the need for permanent African seats on the Security Council. A peace and security declaration from the summit urged urgent and comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council to make it more effective and representative.
Africa's push for permanent seats stems from the need to reflect contemporary global realities. Continental bodies have criticized the exclusion of a continent of over 1.4 billion people from permanent decision-making power.
Guterres remarked that the world would benefit from an inclusive Security Council, noting that the current composition—three European, one North American, and one Asian permanent members—lacks Latin American and African representation, which undermines its legitimacy and effectiveness.
Following the Macron-Abiy meeting, a new loan funding agreement worth $63.9 million was announced to support Ethiopia's green energy investment and digitalization program. Additionally, Macron stated that the French government and private sector would mobilize investments totaling $27 billion to spur inclusive growth across Africa.
