ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- African leaders have rejected aproposal from Brazil, Germany, Japan and India on seats for the continent in an enlarged UN Security Council, according to a spokesman from the African Union (AU) on Thursday evening.

    "The extraordinary summit of the African heads of state has endorsed the African position that was taken in Sirte, Libya," Desmond Orjiako told journalists shortly after the summit.

    Over 90 percent of the representatives from 46 of the 53 AU members voted in favor of the body's original decision not to accept any Security Council reforms that did not expand the numberof seats capable of vetoing resolutions brought before the council, he said.

    Brazil, Germany, Japan and India, the so-called the Group of Four (G4), are trying to win Africa's support for their plan to expand the council.

    The council's current 15 seats include 10 chosen by regions who rotate for two-year terms and five permanent members with vetoes: the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain.

    The G4 plan calls for 10 new members, made up of six permanent members without veto powers -- four for themselves and two for Africa -- and another four seats rotating for two-year terms.

    At its Sirte summit in July, AU leaders called on the council to be enlarged to 26 seats, with six new permanent veto-wielding seats of which two will be reserved for Africa and five new non-permanent seats of which two would also be for Africa.

    At least eight presidents, eight prime ministers, one vice president and 19 foreign ministers attended the one-day summit, with representatives from all 53 African nations to take part.

    Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa are the leading African candidates for the two proposed Security Council permanent seats. Enditem