Kiikuuyo vs Jabuuti for a Security Council seat

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

The first round was not good for Jabuuti. And for us Soomaaliya as well. If Kiikuuyo win that Golaha Ammaanka seat, they will use every available power to help themselves, especially the sensitive maritime case before International Court of Justice.

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Kenya, Djibouti contest for UN seat heads to second round

The contest between Kenya and Djibouti will head to the second round of voting on Thursday after the first phase saw Nairobi’s victory insufficient to win the UN Security Council seat.

In the first round, Nairobi scored 113 votes against Djibouti’s 78. And although Kenya was firmly in the driving seat, the rules of the elections demand at least two thirds of the votes of eligible UN member states to be declared winner.

On Wednesday, the election that started at 4pm Kenyan time (EAT) saw 192 of the 193 member states voting. Only Venezuela was barred from casting its ballot as it is still in arrears for its membership in the UN.

It means Nairobi’s diplomats will have to work a lot harder on Thursday to lobby countries across the world for one more vote each to see off a Djibouti that rejected African Union’s decision to endorse Kenya, and went ahead to conduct parallel campaigns for the only seat allocated for Africa.

The UN Security Council is the most powerful organ of the UN, charged with maintaining global peace and security. Its decisions, by law, must be obeyed by all UN member states, giving it prestige and power.

Nairobi, if it wins, would be among the 10 non-permanent members, who often work alongside the permanent five (Russia, China, UK, US, France) to pass resolutions touching on global peace and security.

Xigasho

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Kenya vs. Djibouti: Who will represent Africa on the UN Security Council?

Africa usually speaks with one voice when it comes to electing representatives on the world stage. So why are Kenya and Djibouti tussling over a seat on the UN Security Council?

United Nations members voted in four new members of the powerful Security Council in New York on Wednesday, but failed to decide on which African nation should fill the African regional seat up for grabs. 

In Wednesday's vote, Kenya received 113 votes while Djibouti got 78. With both failing to gain the two-thirds majority needed to win the Africa seat on the council, the two countries will face off on in a second round of voting on Thursday morning.

In the past, African nations have unanimously backed a single candidate. This year though, both Kenya and Djibouti are vying for the seat, currently occupied by South Africa, which will become vacant in January 2021. 

Kenya thought it had an early edge

Back in February, Kenya thought it already had the seat in the bag: In a secret ballot in February, African Union member states nominated Kenya ahead of Djibouti, with 37 votes to 13, as their candidate for the seat.

But then the AU's headquarters in Addis Ababa received a letter from Djibouti.

The small French and Arabic-speaking country in the Horn of Africa demanded that the AU reconsider its decision. According to Djibouti's ambassador to the UN, the AU's support for Kenya is against the rules. During the vote, concerns were raised that if Djibouti were to be elected, then Africa would be represented by three francophone countries in 2021, with Niger and Tunisia filling the other two African seats.

In the letter, Djibouti dismissed these concerns as absurd.  After all, this has happened before: Most recently in 2001, when Mali, Mauritius and Tunisia were represented on the UN committee at the same time.

Francophones vs. Anglophones? 

The diplomatic fronts hardened in the days before Wednesday's UN General Assembly vote because Djibouti continued to refuse to withdraw its candidacy.

Roba Sharamo, director of the Institute for Security Studies in Addis Ababa, suspects geopolitical causes behind this. "Djibouti is likely to be urged by foreign powers to maintain his candidacy against all odds," said the security expert. "There were suspicions that maybe some French-speaking countries are behind it, but now it's becoming more and more clear that China is pushing Djibouti."

In any case, Africa is giving a mixed picture, which isn't a good look for the continent. "I think ideally Africa should speak with one voice and only present one candidate," says Sharamo.

Read more: Djibouti military base 'a manifestation of China's global interests'

Is China behind the conflict?

Kenyan political scientist Martin Oloo does not believe the alleged dispute between Francophone and Anglophone countries is the main issue in this case. "The AU wanted to encourage only one country to run," he told DW. "That we have two countries now explains the big division between the west and the east."

Kenya — the candidate for the West — enjoys support from the US and most European counties. Djibouti, meanwhile, is the candidate of choice for China and Russia, which would work with it in many areas on the UN level.

The importance of having three African, non-permanent members of the UN Security Council should not be undervalued, emphasizes Oloo: "China wants to keep this group, which is known as A3."

China already exerts significant influence over both Djibouti and Kenya. But if push comes to shove, Oloo believes China would probably side with Djibouti.

Both countries claim their candidacy is being supported by China. Experts view this as a sign of China's growing influence in Africa.

"Both Kenya and Djibouti have maneuvered themselves into being greatly dependent on China," says Sharamo. "China is Kenya's largest creditor and also operates the largest ports in Djibouti."

As a permanent member of the Security Council, China has been reluctant to speak out about this diplomatic conflict, instead declaring that it intends to "support Africans in resolving African problems in an African way."

Africa: The game ball of the great powers?

So what role could African countries like Kenya or Djibouti play in the Security Council?

"The balance of power in the Security Council is very clearly distributed," explains Oloo. "On the one hand there is the US, which is mostly supported by the Europeans, and on the other hand, the Russians work in tandem with China."

Oloo believes that so far, the African countries who have taken up seats on the council have been unable to formulate and implement their own interests. Even South Africa, who will leave the council at the end of the year to be replaced by Kenya or Djibouti, has failed to set its own course over the past two years, he adds. 

Liesl Louw-Vaudran from the Institute for Security Studies in Pretoria, South Africa, sees it differently. 

"South Africa achieved a lot in terms of strengthening the A3," she tells DW. "In the beginning of 2019 there was some controversy in the UN Security Council around the elections in DR Congo, but after that the South African diplomacy contributed to an independent African position."

However, South Africa joined the Security Council at a difficult time, she points out. The elections in DR Congo left little room for other issues and since 2020, the work of the South African diplomats have been significantly limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she adds.

Security Council reforms 'long overdue'

There are already enough issues that Africa urgently needs to resolve at the UN level, says Sharamo, yet the voice of African states remains barely noticed.

"Africa has long called for reform of the Security Council," explains Sharamo. "I think the African continent is a major player in the world and at the same time is a continent which is hosting a lot of peacekeeping missions. I think it is time to have an African country as a permanent UN Security Council member, as the world becomes more and more interdependent."

Oloo has a more pessimistic outlook and does not think anything will change following the election of Africa's next representative on June 17: "Regardless of whether Kenya or Djibouti wins the vote, Africa will remain a disunited continent and therefore a 'game ball' of the great powers."

Deutsche Welle

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Yaa ku guuleystay codeyntii loo qaaday Jabuuti iyo Kenya ee Golaha Ammaanka QM?

Kenya iyo Jabuuti ayaa ku kala bixi waayey cod-bixintii ka dhacday xarunta QM ee loolanka labadaas dal ay ugu jireen helitaanka kursi aan joogto ahayn oo ka mid ah 15-ka kursi ee Golaha Ammaanka.

Doorashadii maanta dhacday ayaa waxay Kenya heshay 113 cod, halka Jabuuti ay ka heshay 78 cod, taasi oo macnaheedu yahay in berri lagu laaban doono codeyn kale, maadaama Kenya aysan helin laba meelood saddex meel codadka ama 129 cod.

Kenya iyo Jabuuti ayaa labadaba raadinaya inay beddelaan dalka Koonfur Afrika, waxaana dalkii guuleysta uu kursiga ku fadhin doonaa muddo laba sano ah.

Codeynta labaad ayaa dhici doonta berri, waxaana haddii Kenya ay guuleystao ay noqon doonta markii saddexaad ee kursigan ay hesho. Kenya ayaa sidoo kale xubin ka ahayd Golaha Ammaanka 1973-74 iyo 1997-98. Jabuuti weligeed kuma guuleysan kursiga.

Dowladda Soomaaliya ayaa horey u sheegtay inay taageereyso musharaxnimada Jabuuti, waxaana jirta cabsi ah in haddii Kenya ay hesho kursigan ay u adeegsan karto inay Golaha Ammaanka ka billowdo cadaadis ka dhan ah Soomaaliya, oo ku saabsan inay ka laabato kiiska badda ee Maxkamadda ICJ.

Codeymihii kale ee maanta dhacay ayaa India waxay ku guuleysata kursiga xubnaha aan joogtada ahayn ee Golaha Ammaanka ee dalalka Asia-Pacific, halka Turkey ay ku guuleysatay madaxweynenimada Golaha Guud ee QM.

Shan dal ayaa xubno joogto ka ah Golaha Ammaanka, waana Mareykanka, UK, Ruushka, Shiinaha iyo Faransiiska. 10-ka kursi ee kale ayaa waxaa labadii sanaba qabta dal ka mid ah 193-ka dal ee xubnaha ka ah QM.

Xigasho

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Sad day for all of us Soomaalis.

Kenya defeats Djibouti to win a seat at the UN Security Council

After both countries failed to gain enough support at first round, Kenya won the Africa spot with 129 votes against 69.

Kenya has defeated Djibouti to get elected to the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), after the UN General Assembly (UNGA) failed to choose between the two candidates during a first round. 

In Thursday's vote for the 15-member council's Africa seat, Kenya received 129 votes against Djibouti's 62.

A first-round vote held the previous day had seen both countries failing to receive the required two-thirds majority of 128 votes.

Kenya now joins Norway, Ireland, India and Mexico, which were elected on Wednesday as non-permanent members for a two-year term starting on January 1, 2021.

The East African country will replace South Africa.

In previous years, ambassadors from all UN member states had gathered in its vast UNGA chamber to vote by secret ballot, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the world body to adopt new rules.

To avoid a large gathering and ensure physical distancing, ambassadors wearing masks were given time slots for voting and spread out in the chamber to mark their ballots.

The UNSC has five permanent, veto-wielding members - China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States - and 10 elected members with seats allocated to regional groups and five new members elected every year.

It is the only UN body that can make legally binding decisions such as imposing sanctions and authorising the use of force.

Aljasiira

 

[Miskiin-Macruuf-Aqiyaar]

Kenya oo sameysay ballan-qaad la xiriira Soomaaliya kadib guushii ay ka gaartay kursiga Golaha Ammaanka

Kenya shalay ayaa ku guulaysatay kursi aan joogto ahayn oo ka tirsan Golaha Ammaanka ee Qaramada Midoobay, kadib markii ay codadkii loo baahnaa ka heshay tartankii kala dhexeeyay Jabuuti.

Nairobi ayaa wareegga labaad ee doorashada heshay 129 cod, halka Jabuuti ay heshay 62 cod.

Hogaamiyaha aqlabiyadda ee baarlamaanka Kenya, Adan Barre Ducaale, ayaa sheegay in dalkiisa uu ka shaqeyn doono wanaajinta ammaanka caalamka, gaar ahaan kan gobolka.

Ducaale oo BBC laanta af-Soomaaliga u warramay ayaa sheegay in dalkiisa aanu kursiga u adeegsan doonin khilaafka kala dhexeeya Soomaaliya ee salka ku haya muranka xuduud badeedka labada dal.

“Waxaan u maleynayaa in Soomaaliya ay kamid ahayd dalalkii noo codeeyay markii aan [musharraxa] ka ahayn Midowga Afrika…. Arinta badda waxay hor taallaa maxkamadda caalamiga ah ee ICJ. Soomaaliya waxay ogoshahay maxkamadda waxay go’aamiso, anagana sidoo kale. Dalal walaalo ah ayaan nahay, mana kala go’ayno,” ayuu yiri Adan Barre Ducaale.

Guusha Kenya ayaa ka dhigan in bisha January 2021 ay muddo laba sano ah kamid noqon doonto 15-ka xubnood ee golaha ugu awoodda badan marka laga hadlayo ammaanka iyo xasilloonida caalamka.

Go’aannada ay Kenya ku lug lahaan karto waxaa kamid ah cunaqabateynta, adeegsiga awood milateri si loo ilaaliyo nabadda iyo weliba doorashada xaakimiinta maxkamadda cadaallada adduunka (ICJ).

Loolanka xooggan ee dhexmaray Kenya iyo Jabuuti ayaa daaha ka rogay khilaafka u dhexeeya qaar kamid ah dalalka Bariga Afrika.

Soomaaliya ayaa taageertay hamiga Jabuuti ee kursigaasi, kadib markii uu dalkaasi yar ka horyimid go’aankii Midowga Afrika uu ku taageeray musharraxnimada Kenya.

Soomaaliya iyo Kenya ayaa waxaa ka dhexeeya muran ku aaddan xuduud badeedka labada waddan, kaasoo hadda horyaalla maxkamadda ICJ.

Xigasho

[maakhiri1]

very bad, Somalia should put their candidacy as well

[Xaaji Xunjuf]

Djibouti has lost but this was expected. Kenya is the darling of the west.