Africa sits on the fence in UN rebuke of Russia invasion of Ukraine
Seventeen African countries on Wednesday sat on the fence as the United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly voted to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, signalling further international pressure on Moscow.
The UN General Assembly, in a rare emergency session this week prompted by a serious threat to international security, voted to condemn what a motion called “aggression against Ukraine” following Russia’s February 24 invasion of its neighbour and former Soviet republic.
The vote, which was mostly symbolic and lacks legal strength, means the UN has declared Moscow’s decision a violation of the UN Charter, especially on issues of territorial integrity.
With 141 of the 193 member states of the UN voting, the event was the first in 40 years when the General Assembly sat and passed a resolution to reprimand a member’s aggression. Kenya, its other UN Security Council members Ghana and Gabon, as well as Rwanda, Djibouti, Congo, Somalia and the Democratic Republic of Congo are some of African countries who voted yes.
Some 35 countries including Russia and China abstained. And so did 17 African countries such as Burundi, Senegal, South Sudan, South Africa, Uganda, Mali and Mozambique. Ethiopia did not take part but Eritrea, North Korea and Syria voted against the resolution.
Adonia Ayebare, Uganda’s permanent representative to the UN, claimed neutrality was behind his country’s refusal to vote.
“As incoming Chair of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) NEUTRALITY is key. Uganda will continue to play a constructive role in the maintenance of peace and security both regionally and globally,” he argued.
His government’s military bosses back home, however, had been suggesting Russia’s decision to invade Ukraine on February 24 had some valid reasoning of security concerns. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, President Yoweri Museveni’s son and commander of land forces, for instance, tweeted that a “majority of non-white” people support Russia.
“The majority of mankind (that are non-white) support Russia's stand in Ukraine. Putin is absolutely right! When the USSR parked nuclear armed missiles in Cuba in 1962 the West was ready to blow up the world over it. Now when NATO does the same they expect Russia to do differently?” he tweeted on February 28.
Uganda, though, has not formally stated its stance. But Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also raised concerns about the plight of African students caught up in the chaos.
On Wednesday, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said his government had established an emergency line to help stranded foreign students (+380934185684).
“We are working intensively to ensure their safety & speed up their passage. Russia must stop its aggression which affects us all,” he said, but did not refer to reported racist incidents.
The EU had earlier said it was allowing foreign students to escape the violence via its member states. BY DAILY NATION
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