Merz favours two permanent African seats on UN Security Council

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Monday said he supports demands for two permanent African seats on the UN Security Council.

"When the Security Council discusses and decides on crises in Africa, Africa must have a seat at the table," said Merz on the sidelines of the European Union-African Union summit in the Angolan capital Luanda. 

Merz said Europe and Africa together have more than 40% of all votes in the United Nations.

"Together, we carry a lot of weight," Merz said. "But for that, Africa must also be better represented internationally, in a way that reflects the weight of this continent."

The UN Security Council currently comprises 15 of the 193 UN member states.

The five permanent members are the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom and France.

The other seats rotate every two years. Germany is running for a non-permanent seat on the council for the 2027-28 term.

Leaders from the EU and African Union are convening for a two-day summit in Angola as a whirlwind of international diplomacy continues on the continent.

The seventh EU-AU summit in Luanda comes on the heels of a G20 summit in Johannesburg, the first such meeting on African soil.