President Robert Mugabe spared no punches at the African Union summit in South Africa this weekend. He took jabs at South Africa and Nigeria for “betraying” Africa by signing the UN Security Council Resolution of 1973 in 2011, which approved military action against slain Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi.
He told the summit that Africa would never agree to the two countries getting permanent seats on the council as they had betrayed the continent’s trust.
According to Independent News, Mugabe was speaking at a meeting of the ‘Committee of 10′ which was discussing possible changes to the Ezulwini Consensus – an agreement stating Africa’s position of reform within the UN Security Council. South Africa was also calling for the agreement to adopt a more flexible approach as the rigid demands were causing problems in seeing reforms in the council.
South African president is quoted to have said last year: “Africa needs to compromise – not reiterate fixed positions as it has done for the past nine years.”
But, according to one regional official who was at the meeting, Mugabe’s lashing out at South Africa and Nigeria would seriously hamper impede South Africa’s case for amending the consensus.