President John Dramani Mahama has once again renewed Ghana’s call for permanent African representation on the United Nations Security Council.
Mahama argued that the continent’s continued exclusion undermines the credibility of the global body.
Accordong to John Mahama, Africa is home to 1.5 billion people, with over 18 per cent of humanity adding that it is unacceptable in the 21st century for Africa not to have a permanent seat.
Addressing the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Thursday, September 24, President Mahama said Africa’s growing population and role in global affairs could no longer be ignored in discussions on the reform of the UN’s principal security organ.
He stated, “Africa is home to 1.5 billion people, over 18 per cent of humanity, and constitutes the largest regional voting bloc in this General Assembly,” he said. “Yet, Africa remains without a single permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council. This is fundamentally unacceptable in the 21st century.”
Mahama called for Africa to be granted permanent representation with the full rights and responsibilities attached to such membership, including veto powers.
He argued that the current structure of the Security Council reflected geopolitical realities that existed after the Second World War.
Mahama argued that the structure no longer adequately represented the contemporary international system.
“We cannot credibly champion the sovereign equality of nations while preserving a global governance structure designed for the post-war geopolitical realities,” he said.
“Security Council reform is not a favour to Africa; it is an imperative for the legitimacy, credibility, and survival of the United Nations,” he said.
Also, President John Dramani Mahama bluntly told U.S. President Donald Trump that no human civilisation deserves to be annihilated.
Ghana’s President addressing world leaders at the United Nations boldly stated no human civilisation deserves to be annihilated and certainly not a member state of the United Nations.
According to John Mahama, dialogue can resolve even the world’s most difficult conflicts.
Speaking during his address to the 81st UN General Assembly, just two days after Trump used the word “annihilate” while warning Iran, Mahama stated, “The current Middle East crisis is having a deleterious effect on the world economy. We call for a return to the negotiating table. And let me add that no human civilisation deserves to be annihilated, certainly not a member state of the United Nations.
“I believe that dialogue can resolve even the most intractable of problems. Across every conflict, whether in Europe, the Middle East, or Africa, the standard must remain uniform: respect sovereign integrity, protect civilians, ensure unhindered humanitarian access, and hold perpetrators of war crimes accountable,” he said.
He further went on to call for respect for national sovereignty, protection of civilians, unhindered humanitarian access.
President Mahama although did not explicitly identify Trump however, the timing and Mahama’s use of the same word Trump had used two days earlier made the remarks a notable apparent response to the US president idea of destroying an entire civilisation.
Mahama remarks follows US President Donald Trump warning on Tuesday that he could annihilate Iran.
Watch the video below:
President John Dramani Mahama full speech at the 81st UN General Assembly.
— KALYJAY (@gyaigyimii) September 24, 2026
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