Tanzania to support Kenya in its UN Security Council candidature

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania will support Kenya in its bid to have a non-permanent seat at the United Nation General Assembly, the minister of foreign affairs and international relations Professor Palamagamba Kabudi revealed.

The minister was speaking today November 27, during the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report launch at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi.

The launch which brought Kenyan politicians from different divides is proposing new government structure, which will be different from the current one.

Prof Kabudi said he went to Nairobi on Thursday November 26 as a special envoy to present some key messages to Kenya President Uhuru Kenyatta from Tanzania President John Magufuli.

Prof Kabudi said Tanzania supports Kenya’s bid to have a non-permanent seat at the United Nation’s Security Council because it has the trust of the neighbour’s competence.

“I came to Nairobi as a special envoy to speak to President Kenyatta on our support to Kenya’s candidature for the United Nation Security Council non-permanent seat bid,” said Prof Kabudi.

Kenya’s candidature for the United Nations Security Council for non-permanent seat was endorsed by the African Union (AU) Permanent Representatives on August 21, 2019 after Nairobi defeated Djibouti with 37 votes against 13.

However, Djibouti’s insistence that it is still in the race could complicate Kenya’s bid as some African countries could vote for Djibouti next year.

Efforts by the AU Chairman Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to convene a meeting between President Kenyatta and Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York in September failed to produce a solution. Moreover, Kenya’s support outside Africa could face challenge when there are two candidates from the African Group.

The membership of the UN Security Council comprises five permanent members (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom and United States) and ten non-permanent members (each elected on a two-year term).

Each year, the UN General Assembly elects five new members. The geographic composition of the non-permanent members is as follows; African Group (3); Asian Pacific Group (2); Eastern European Group (1); Latin American and Caribbean Group (2) and Western European and Others Group (2).

The ‘Others’ comprise Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Israel. For the two members of the Western European and Others Group, one member must be from Western Europe. In addition, one non-permanent member is an Arab country, alternately from the African Group or Asian-Pacific Group.

The current ten non-permanent of the Security Council are Belgium, Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia, Kuwait, Peru, Poland, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa. Among these ten countries, Kuwait, Peru, Poland, Ivory Coast and Equatorial Guinea will finish their terms at the end of 2019 and will be replaced by new members from their respective regions in January 2020.

For instance, Ivory Coast and Equatorial Guinea from the African Group will be replaced by Niger and Tunisia (Africa, Arab). From African Group perspective, in January 2021 either Kenya or Djibouti will replace South Africa when Pretoria’s two-year term ends in December 2020.

The current ten non-permanent of the Security Council are Belgium, Dominican Republic, Germany, Indonesia, Kuwait, Peru, Poland, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa.

Among these ten countries, Kuwait, Peru, Poland, Ivory Coast and Equatorial Guinea will finish their terms at the end of 2019 and will be replaced by new members from their respective regions in January 2020.