Another AU heavyweight, South Africa, did not throw its hat into the ring either, leaving the two open seats to Angola and Zimbabwe. The withdrawal of Algeria and South Africa from the PSC might reflect the uncertainty both countries face domestically. In West Africa, the rule is to allow outgoing members to contest consecutive second terms based on the alphabetical rotation. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has ruled that Nigeria should occupy the three-year seat for West Africa on a permanent basis. The exit of South Africa and Botswana – respectively 73 and 74.3 – from the PSC contributes to the decline of the overall governance score of PSC members.

Source: The North Africa Journal February 14, 2018 10:18 UTC