Israel’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Brett Jonathan Miller, addresses a Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East at U.N. headquarters in New York City, U.S., May 21, 2026. Image@ REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
Zimbabwe will carry Africa’s voice into the United Nations Security Council from January 2027, after the UN General Assembly on Wednesday elected five new non-permanent members to the world’s most powerful multilateral body — a vote that also delivered a historic first for a fellow developing nation.
Harare’s election was uncontested, with Zimbabwe receiving more than 180 votes to claim the seat reserved for the African Group. It will be the country’s third time on the council, having served twice before , and its return comes at a time of heightened global tensions over conflicts, sanctions and the use of force, issues that have long shaped how African nations engage with the Security Council.
Zimbabwe is expected to reinforce positions favouring cautious approaches to sanctions and other externally driven pressure initiatives, reflecting its longstanding emphasis on dialogue, non-interference, and negotiated solutions, a posture broadly aligned with the prevailing mood across much of the continent.
Zimbabwe will replace Somalia, which exits the council at the end of 2026, as Africa maintains its single non-permanent seat on a body that holds enormous sway over the continent’s peace and security landscape. Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Latvia and Liberia will continue serving as elected members through the end of 2027 , meaning the DRC — itself at the centre of one of Africa’s most protracted conflicts — remains part of the council’s composition during a critical period.
It also remains to be seen whether Trinidad and Tobago, which won the Latin American and Caribbean seat, will align with African members to reconstitute the “A3 Plus” grouping — a bloc that has in recent years strengthened Africa-Caribbean coordination at the UN, with Guyana playing that bridging role during its 2024–2025 term.
Elsewhere in the vote, Kyrgyzstan claimed the Asia-Pacific seat after defeating the Philippines across four rounds of voting, while Portugal and Austria won the two Western European seats, leaving Germany — a far wealthier and more influential power — without a place at the table.
The Security Council, where Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States hold permanent veto powers, remains a body whose structure African nations and other developing regions have long argued is overdue for reform — a debate Zimbabwe’s return is likely to reignite.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah