South African president calls for Africa to be member of G20

By MOGOMOTSI MAGOME
Associated Press

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has called for the African Union to be included as a permanent member of the Group of 20 leading economies. The representation would allow African countries to more effectively press the G-20 group to implement its pledge to help the continent to cope with climate change. Ramaphosa made the call Tuesday at the G-20 summit in Indonesia. The G-20 meeting is taking place at the same time as the U.N. climate summit in Egypt. The African Union represents the continent’s 54 countries. The G-20 is composed of the world’s major industrial and emerging economies and represents more than 80% of the world’s gross domestic product.