Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio, in a statement, welcomed the United States’ support for two permanent African seats on the UN Security Council.

His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, Coordinator of the African Union Committee of Ten Heads of State and Government on the Reform of the UN Security Council (C-10), has expressed his delight following the United States’ decision to support two permanent seats for Africa on the United Nations Security Council.

The announcement was made by the U.S. Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, a member of President Joe Biden’s cabinet.

President Bio described this as a “major shift” from the U.S.’s initial position, which only supported permanent representation for Africa.

He emphasized that the new stance aligns with one of the core demands of the Common African Position, which advocates for greater African representation on the Council.

The announcement comes on the heels of a historic debate on UN Security Council reform, chaired by President Bio during Sierra Leone’s presidency of the Council in August.

The debate focused on “Addressing the historical injustice and enhancing Africa’s effective representation in the Security Council.” President Bio noted that the U.S. has responded to Africa’s call for fairer representation.

“The United States has heard and heeded the important call by agreeing to one of the core demands of the Common African Position,” he said.

Looking ahead, President Bio called for further discussions on the veto powers of the permanent members, aiming to fully address the historical injustices faced by Africa.

He urged other permanent members of the Security Council (P5) to offer their clear and unequivocal support for Africa and the Common African Position.