Underrepresentation of developing nations in the UN security council, a major disadvantage to Africa -Lavrov

Russia’s foreign minister said that his country favors changing the United Nations Security Council to give developing countries, notably African countries, a more significant position.

Sergey Lavrov spoke in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, on Tuesday after meeting with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

“We reiterated our stances on the reorganization of the United Nations Security Council,” Lavrov added. “The major issue here is the underrepresentation of developing nations in the Security Council, and the only answer is increased representation of Asian, African, and Latin American countries.”

Uganda was the third destination on Lavrov’s African trip as Russia attempts to shift the narrative during the Ukraine conflict. Lavrov’s tour will conclude with a stop in Ethiopia, the seat of the 54-nation African Union.

African leaders have recently pushed for permanent participation in the United Nations Security Council. For decades, the issue of restructuring the 15-member council has sparked discussion.

Earlier this year, Museveni said that changes would prevent “mistakes” similar to the removal from office of late Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi, who was arrested and murdered by a Nato coalition operation.

The five permanent members of the Security Council represent the worldwide power structure after the close of World War II: the United States, China, Russia, France, and Britain. The council’s remaining ten seats are filled by U.N. members who serve two-year terms.

While there is considerable support for reforming the council to better reflect modern global realities, attempts have been hampered by national and regional rivalry.

The African Union has proposed expanding the council to 26 members, with six new permanent seats, including two with veto power for Africa, and five non-permanent seats for Africa.

Russian personnel helps Uganda repair military equipment on a regular basis, and officials recently awarded a contract to a Russian business to put monitoring systems in military vehicles to curb violent crime.

Uganda was one of 25 African countries that abstained or did not vote on a United Nations General Assembly resolution criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year. Many African states have long-standing connections with Moscow, extending back to the Cold War when the Soviet Union backed their anti-colonial activities.

Museveni said on Tuesday that Russia has been a friend to Uganda for over a century. He believes that Russia cannot suddenly become an adversary due to its competition with the United States.

“We want to build our own enemies, not fight the enemies of others,” Museveni remarked. “This is our philosophy.”