On Thursday, Fifteen African countries abstained from voting as the United Nations General Assembly in New York overwhelmingly passed a resolution denouncing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine almost a year ago.
The resolution called for the withdrawal of troops from Ukraine and an end to the fighting, but it is not legally binding. The resolution holds political weight and was supported by 141 nations, with seven countries voting against it and 32 abstentions.
Almost half of the abstentions came from Africa. Countries that abstained included South Africa, Ethiopia, Algeria, Angola, Burundi, Namibia, Central Africa Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Gabon, Guinea, Mozambique, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Eritrea and Mali were the only African countries that voted against the resolution.
Senegal, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, and Guinea-Bissau did not participate in the voting, while Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, and Kenya were among those that backed the vote.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the resolution, describing it as a strong signal of global support. The invasion began exactly a year ago on Friday.