Monrovia — South Africa Pushes for Permanent African Seat on UN Security Council
South Africa is leveraging ongoing intergovernmental negotiations on UN reform to advance the African Union’s demand for permanent representation. Speaking at the 81st UN General Assembly, South Africa’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Mxolisi Sizo Nkosi, highlighted Security Council reform as a core priority for Pretoria as it rallies support across member states.
The Security Council currently comprises 15 members: five permanent and ten non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. South Africa maintains that the body must expand to reflect contemporary global realities, specifically addressing Africa’s historic absence from the permanent category.
UN Voices Deep Concern Over Escalating Security Crisis in Ethiopia
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The UN has expressed strong concern over a deteriorating security situation in Ethiopia, pointing to the formation of a new coalition of armed groups, widespread instability, and repeated drone strikes.
Speaking at a press briefing on September 21, UN Secretary-General Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said the UN was “deeply concerned” by the ongoing escalation. The warning comes amid heightened tensions across the country, including fresh clashes between federal forces and regional troops in northern Tigray.
South West Somalia Steps Up Flood Preparations Ahead of El Niño Rains
South West State President Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe convened a high-level ministerial committee and the Somalia Disaster Management Agency (SoDMA) to review emergency preparations ahead of expected El Niño rains.
Officials outlined risk mitigation plans aimed at preventing flood damage, safeguarding communities, and enhancing disaster response capabilities across the state. President Madobe urged government agencies and humanitarian partners to streamline coordination and ensure emergency equipment is pre-positioned in high-risk zones.
South African Women Need Protection, Not Warnings, Says Human Rights Watch
The discovery of several women’s bodies on the outskirts of South Africa’s commercial capital, Johannesburg, has caused fear, anxiety and outrage across the country. All the women were found naked or partially clothed, according to police. Some of the bodies had bruising. At least three suspects are already in custody as authorities continue to examine possible links between the killings
Writing for Human Rights Watch, researcher Stacey-Leigh Manuel emphasized that these horrific killings are not isolated incidents, but rather symptom of South Africa’s ongoing national emergency regarding gender-based violence.
