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Mukachana Hanyani Correspondent
IT is not proper for the UN Security Council (UNSC) to remain superintended by only five-member countries as if they are supreme beings to the extent that they are unchallengeable.

While it is known that the formation of the UN was precipitated by the end of the Second World War in which those countries were involved, but it is wrong for them to personalise that UN arm.

As such the call by President Mugabe that the UNSC should be reformed has to be embraced by all developing countries who feel marginalised in the international community.

The UN has been monopolised by some few member countries who do not want it to be reformed.

African countries who constitute a larger number of the UN membership have no permanent members in the UNSC. Such a scenario has seen African voices being marginalised and not heard even in situations where decisions affect the African continent.

African leaders should stand guided by Pan-Africanism that give the concept of Ubuntu/Unhu as the way forward in deciding and planning what the African continent needs to do.

In actual fact, Africa should now be vocal in championing the needs for the Africans in the international community especially when they attend the United Nations General Assembly.

The road that has been championed by the former chairman of the AU and SADC, President Mugabe, that reforms in the UNSC should be made as to accommodate African interests should be taken aboard and seriously by all African states. As such, that move should be the voice of any African leader to the Western countries as to force the UN to accommodate all countries’ interests regardless of geographical and economic standing. It is refreshing that the AU in the recent years has managed to choose 10 countries that have come to be known as the Committee of 10 to champion the negotiations with the super powers so that they allow an African country to have a permanent seat in the UN Security Council. The committee of 10, which started the ball rolling more than three years ago, is currently having meetings with various countries which are in the UNSC as a way of making sure that they accept the continent`s plea. For that reason the AU heads of states and governments should not fold their hands and let those super powers get away with the monopoly in the handling of the UNSC affairs but they should fight for their rights to be heard.

The UNSC, which comprises Britain, China, France, Russia and US has been the preserve of these countries since 1945, making it impossible for other countries to get their voices heard. So the C10, which comprises Algeria, DRC, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Libya, Namibia, Senegal, Sierra Leorne and Zambia should be commended for the good work they are doing in seeking UNSC reforms. As such, all African states should remain united and always speak with one voice during international summits or meetings so that African interests are not trampled upon.

The current Chairman, Idriss Deby Itno of Chad should carry on with the gospel of preaching to the world about the need for the UNSC to be reformed. President Idriss must make sure that he is in line with what his predecessor President Mugabe has been saying throughout his AU tenure of office as the Chairman.

Actually it is not the UNSC council which only needs to be reformed but the International Criminal Court (ICC) also needs urgent scrutiny as well since it has been targeting African leaders and other prominent African individuals in its investigations of alleged war crimes. While there is no one who can condone those alleged to have perpetrated violence against their citizens but the fact it is only the developing countries’ leaders who are always targeted by the ICC calls for its reform.

Since its formation on July 17 1998, under the Rome Statute, the ICC has never subpoenaed developed countries’ leaders who allegedly committed crimes against humanity to appear before it. Some former and current African leaders have been subpoenaed to appear before the ICC. Leaders like Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto spent most of the early days of their tenure under ICC investigations.

Former Ivory Coast president Laurent Gbagbo is on trial for alleged war crimes committed after presidential elections of 2010. The ICC looks like it was formed to deal with African leaders only as it turns a blind eye on developed countries who could have done similar things like leaders of the developing nations.

In fact, leaders like former US president George W Bush and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair stand out as the real candidates for the ICC where they should answer to charges of crimes against humanity.

Those two former leaders in 2003, killed the innocent people in Iraq when they invaded that country saying Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction which turned out to be false.

As such the AU should stand firm and continuously call for the total reform of both the UNSC and the ICC so that all UN member states are not marginalised.