Somalia has won a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council.
It will be the first time the African country, which descended into civil war more than 30 years ago, has held the position since the 1970s.
There are 10 rotating non-permanent members on the council, along with the five permanent members – the US, the UK, France, China and Russia.
Somalia was elected along with Denmark, Greece, Pakistan and Panama to serve for two years from January next year.
It bagged the seat allocated to the East Africa region unopposed and went on to win 179 votes in a secret ballot in the 193-member General Assembly.
Following the vote, Somalia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmed Fiqi, who led a delegation of Somali officials to New York, said his country would now take up “its position on the global stage”.
“We stand ready to play a vital role in promoting peace and security in the world,” he said.
Somalia has also been battling the Islamist militant group al-Shabab, which still controls large parts of the country. The al-Qaeda-allied fighters want to topple the central government and establish their own rule based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law.
James Swan, the UN secretary general’s acting special representative for Somalia, said the country’s experiences placed it in a unique position to contribute to the Security Council’s deliberations on international peace and security
“Somalia has come a long way over the past three decades on its path to peace, prosperity and security,” Mr Swan said.
The UN Security Council has significant responsibilities and can authorise peacekeeping operations and impose international sanctions.
Last December, it lifted a longstanding arms embargo on Somalia.
Non-permanent members of the council are allocated by region, but unlike the five permanent members, they do not have the power of veto
The AU has been pushing for Africa to have two permanent representatives on the council and an additional two seats as non-permanent representatives
BBC
