The UN General Assembly on Thursday, held a vote to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council, a decision which Nigeria abstained from. ayokinews.com reports
A total number of 93 UN member countries voted in support of suspending the eastern bloc’s invasion of Ukraine, an event which has been going on for over two months
However, the decision was voted against by twenty-four other countries. Despite this, the resolution received a two-thirds majority vote in the 193-member Assembly, excluding those who abstained from voting.
Prior to the commencement of the voting exercise, Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s ambassador to the UN, asked countries to vote in favor of the resolution.
“Bucha and dozens of other Ukrainian cities and villages, where thousands of peaceful residents have been killed, tortured, raped, abducted and robbed by the Russian Army, serve as an example of how dramatically far the Russian Federation has gone from its initial declarations in the human rights domain,” Kyslytsya told the Assembly.
“That is why this case is unique and today (Thursday’s) response is obvious and self-explanatory.”
Apart from Nigeria, Angola, Botswana, Cape Verde, Cameroon, and Egypt were among the 21 African countries that abstained from voting against Russia.
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Others countries are Eswatini, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Togo, and Uganda.
On the other hand, the likes of Algeria, Burundi, Central Africa Republic (CAR), Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Mali and Zimbabwe voted against the suspension of Russia.
Following claims of human rights abuses perpetrated by Russian forces, the gathering marked the commencement of a special emergency session on the war in Ukraine.
This voting resolution is the second-ever suspension of a country from the Human Rights Council, following sanctions placed on then Muhammar Gaddafi controlled Libya in 2011.
China, a close ally of Vladimir Putin’s administration, voted against the suspension, signaling support for the Kremlin.
Earlier, Russia conveyed a veiled warning to several member states, implying that failing to vote against Moscow’s ouster would be regarded as backing for a US-led drive to isolate Russia from the world.
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