How Security Council seat race is shaping EA and Horn politics
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta at the 2018 AU Peace and Security Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Kenya is keen to clinch a seat in the UN Security Council, hoping to wield more influence in the region. PHOTO | PSCU
Vested interests in the Horn of Africa could threaten the role of the African Union in deciding who represents the continent at the UN Security Council when a vote is held next June.
On Wednesday, Kenya thought it had received the continental endorsement for the race after defeating Djibouti in a secret ballot at the African Union headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa. But Djibouti, which lost three times in a race that required two-thirds majority victory of 37-13 votes, backtracked after conceding, and is now taking its campaign for the seat directly to UN member states.
