OREANDA-NEWS In his speech at the UN General Assembly, Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud called for granting the countries of the African continent a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.

"It is extremely important to eliminate the obvious injustice in our multilateral system. Africa, a continent of 54 sovereign states, remains the only continent without permanent seats on the UN Security Council. This is unacceptable," the Somali president said.

"Some of the most pressing issues on the Council's agenda relate directly to Africa, but Africa does not have permanent representation at the negotiating table. The exclusion of Africa from the permanent membership is unfair, outdated and can no longer be justified. Genuine multilateralism and global legitimacy require the full inclusion of Africa in the decision-making structures of the United Nations," he said.