Credit: Gary Raynaldo /  © Diplomatic Times /   Ambassador Jerry Matthews Matjila, Security Council President for the month of October and Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations at press briefing UN world headquarters New York Oct. 1, 2019.

By Gary Raynaldo   /    DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

UNITED NATIONS  –  NEW YORK  –  SOUTH AFRICA   officially took over the rotating Presidency of the UN Security Council Tuesday.  The Republic of South  Africa’s ambassador to the UN   Jerry Matthews Matjila  will preside as President at the Security Council for the month of October. The presidency of the council is held by each of the members for one month, following the English alphabetical order of the member states’ Names.  South Africa follows Russia which held the presidency the month of September.  The UN Security Council comprises  15 member states, including five permanent members – the United Kingdom, China, Russia, the United States and France.   South Africa’s presidency will feature two key debates on Peace and  Security in Africa; the first on mobilizing youth towards silencing the guns by 2020, and the second on preventative diplomacy, conflict prevention and resolution in Africa.  Special  Adviser on Africa to the Secretary-General Bience Gawanas,  AU Special Envoy on Youth Aya Chebbi, and a youth activist are the anticipated briefers.  Meanwhile, South Africa is already 9 months into its third term on a highly divided UN Security Council.  Now, with South Africa as President of the Security Council it can work toward putting African issues in the global spotlight.  Expect South  Africa to be a close ally of Russia and China on issues such as the  Venezuelan crisis, with its support of embattled President Nicholas Maduro. South Africa has stood up to the United States on the Venezuela issue, by refusing to support opposition leader Juan Guiado.  South Africa is also pushing for the lifting of sanctions against Sudan, and has called on the U.S. to remove Sudan from its list of Sponsors of State Terrorism. 

Credit: Gary Raynaldo /  Ambassador Jerry Matthews Matjila, Security Council President for the month of October and Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations at press briefing UN world headquarters New York Oct. 1, 2019.

DIPLOMATIC TIMES VIDEO /  Ambassador Jerry Matthews Matjila, Security Council President for the month of October and Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations at press briefing UN world headquarters New York Oct. 1, 2019.

Several other African issues will be addressed in October, including Sudan-South Sudan. The situation in Darfur will feature prominently in the programme. Ambassador Joanna Wronecka (Poland), the chair of the 1591 Sudan Sanctions Committee, will brief the Council on the committee’s work.  The Great Lakes Region issue is also to be addressed this month.  Consultations are anticipated on the activities of the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), with Special Representative and head of MINURSO Colin Stewart expected to brief members. The Council is expected to hold a briefing, followed by consultations, on the work of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA).   Special Representative and head of the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) Leila Zerrougui will brief the Council via video-teleconference on MONUSCO’s work.

A briefing, followed by consultations, is scheduled on the activities of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).   Issues impacting Burundi, Guinea-Bissau, and Somalia will also be addressed. 

UN Security Council Members To Visit Africa in October

Security Council members will hold their 13th annual consultative meeting with the members of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (Members of both bodies will also hold informal consultations ahead of this meeting.) UN Security Council members will continue on from Addis Ababa to South Sudan.