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Nine African countries that voted against Russia’s suspension from UN human rights body

United Nations General Assembly At UN

Russia suspended from UN Human Rights body

Algeria, Mali, seven others vote against resolution

Russia accused of systemic rights abuses in Ukraine

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly has suspended Russia from the U.N. Human Rights Council over reports of “gross and systematic violations and abuses of human rights” in Ukraine.

The resolution which took place on Thursday, April 7, 2022. It received a two-thirds majority of members voting triggering the activation process.

In the 193-Member Assembly, 93 nations voted in favour, 58 abstained and 24 voted against.

Nine African countries were among the 24 that abstained, they were; Algeria, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Mali and Zimbabwe.

The affect country, Russia, were joined by others allies including China, Cuba, North Korea, Iran, Syria, and Vietnam.

Among the abstaining nations were, India, Brazil, South Africa, Mexico, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, Iraq, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Cambodia.

The meeting marked the resumption of a special emergency session on the war in Ukraine and followed reports of violations committed by Russian forces.

Following the outcome of the resolution, Moscow, according to a Reuters news report sighted by GhanaWeb, has announced it was quitting the body.

Speaking after the vote, Russia’s deputy U.N. Ambassador Gennady Kuzmin described the move as an “illegitimate and politically motivated step” and then announced that Russia had decided to quit the Human Rights Council altogether.

“You do not submit your resignation after you are fired,” Ukraine’s U.N. Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya told reporters.

Russia was in its second year of a three-year term. Under the resolution on Thursday, the General Assembly could have later agreed to end the suspension. But that cannot happen because Russia has quit the council, just as the United States did in 2018 over what it called chronic bias against Israel and a lack of reform.

The General Assembly text on Thursday expresses “grave concern at the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine,” particularly at reports of rights abuses by Russia.

Russia says it is carrying out a “special military operation” that aims to destroy Ukraine’s military infrastructure and denies attacking civilians. Ukraine and allies say Moscow invaded without provocation.

With additional files from Reuters

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

Ogyem Solomon

Solomon Ogyem – Media Entrepreneur | Journalist | Brand Ambassador Solomon Ogyem is a dynamic Ghanaian journalist and media entrepreneur currently based in South Africa. With a solid foundation in journalism, Solomon is a graduate of the OTEC School of Journalism and Communication Studies in Ghana and Oxbridge Academy in South Africa. He began his career as a reporter at OTEC 102.9 MHz in Kumasi, where he honed his skills in news reporting, community storytelling, and radio broadcasting. His passion for storytelling and dedication to the media industry led him to establish Press MltiMedia Company in South Africa—a growing platform committed to authentic African narratives and multimedia journalism. Solomon is the founder and owner of Thepressradio.com, a news portal focused on delivering credible, timely, and engaging stories across Ghana and Africa. He also owns Press Global Tickets, a service-driven venture in the travel and logistics space, providing reliable ticketing services. He previously owned two notable websites—Ghanaweb.mobi and ShowbizAfrica.net—both of which contributed to entertainment and socio-political discussions within Ghana’s digital space. With a diverse background in media, digital journalism, and business, Solomon Ogyem is dedicated to telling impactful African stories, empowering youth through media, and building cross-continental media partnerships.

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