The Minister of International Relations and Trade, Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, has reiterated Namibia's call for Africa to have permanent seats on the UN Security Council.

A permanent seat will allow African countries to have a voice and contribute to bringing lasting solutions to peace.

Ashipala-Musavyi reiterated this during an interview with RT News on the margins of the Second Ministerial Conference of the Russia-African Partnership Forum in Cairo, Egypt. 

"And one should remember that more than 80% of the items on the UN Security Council concern Africa. And at any given time, there are only three African members, non-permanent members. So we fully support the view that Africa needs two permanent seats on the UN Security Council because we cannot only be viewed as victims. We also have a say on the solutions that we need to put an end to conflict on the African continent, because most of the conflicts on our continent emanate from somewhere else," she said.

The International Relations Minister believes that Africa having a permanent seat on the UN Security Council "will contribute to bringing lasting solutions as we look for permanent peace on the UN Security Council. We appreciate and value the support of the Russian Federation, and we call upon all the other permanent members of the UN Security Council to support the African common position on the reform of the UN Security Council and for us to begin to make a meaningful conclusion to these long-drawn negotiations on the reform of the UN Security Council."