The Kenyan President William Ruto, said that the African Union’s entry to the Group of 20 (G20) will give African interests a voice in the important body.
The African Union is to join the Group of 20 (G20) as a permanent member. India’s Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, announced the decision as he inaugurated a leaders’ summit in New Delhi for the world’s wealthiest nations.
“With Africa poised to grow in the coming years, a seat will allow it to shape the decisions of G20 to ensure the continent’s interests are advanced,” Ruto said.
The AU chair, Azali Assoumani, was invited by Modi to take his sit as a permanent member. Other leaders present clapped and welcomed the leader to their panel.
Modi is bringing together global leaders in New Delhi, to take charge of delivering a discussion on some pressing issues. This comes while Russia and Ukraine deepen their fight against each other. The G20 aims to discuss the most pressing issues, including global economic jitters and a climate crisis. These are some of the serious issues that need action from the world’s wealthiest nations.
Why G20 needs to include Africa
African leaders and citizens have consistently stated that they feel left out of meetings and decisions that affect them. This is one of the reasons why the continent designed an Africa Climate Summit held last week. The intention was for all the countries to voice out ideas and thoughts regarding climate change and seek solutions. This was after COP28 failed to address the interests of African countries.
According to the leaders, Africa deserves a voice and is therefore entitled to a seat on the table. In addition to that, the Global South has been part of trade opportunities and their involvement would bridge the gap between the Global North and the Global South.
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African leaders mentioned that the main reason for the recent involvement is the realization that African countries are growing economically. This is inclusive of trade routes and mineral discoveries. Moreover, African Countries now know they deserve a voice and are going out of their way to get it. This is whether they are invited to the table or not.
South Africa has been the only African Country with membership in the Group of 20. It has been the richest country economically in Africa and therefore had a seat on the table.
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