By Osoro Nyawangah, UNITED
NATIONS
The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday October 12 issued a sweeping condemnation of Russia's attempt to annex four territories in Ukraine last month in a resolute display of global disapproval with 16 African countries abstaining from voting.
The vote was sparked by
Russia's recent annexation of partially-occupied
territories in Ukraine, including the Kherson, Luhansk, Donetsk, and
Zaporizhzhia regions. The General Assembly in its measure demanded that
Russia reverse the land grab.
The 193-member body issued its
most staunch support for Ukraine yet during Wednesday's vote, which saw 143
nations condemn Russia's actions and 35 countries abstain from voting.
Only five countries voted
against the resolution, one of which was Russia itself. North Korea, Belarus,
Syria, and Nicaragua all led by dictator-like regimes joined the increasingly
isolated nation.
The remaining 10 countries did
not vote a slight, technical distinction from the abstention option.
Among the 35 countries that
abstained, 16 were from Africa, including South Africa. China and India, the
world’s two most populous countries, also abstained along with Pakistan and
Cuba.
Other African countries that
abstained from the vote are Algeria, Burundi, Central Africa Republic, Congo,
Eritrea, Guinea, Mali, Mozambique and Namibia.
Others are South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, Tanzania and Zimbabwe.
It was a stronger response than many Western officials had expected, as well as the most robust showing of support from the UN General Assembly for Ukraine since the war began in February.
The body has voted on four resolutions in the months since Russia
invaded, including a demand for a Russian cease-fire and a measure to suspend
Russia from the UN's Geneva-based Human Rights Council.
Several nations that had
previously abstained from or not voted on the prior resolutions joined the
majority on Wednesday to vote "yes," including Bangladesh, Morocco,
and Iraq. Among the additional surprises were Saudi Arabia and the United Arab
Emirates.
Ukraine’s U.N. ambassador,
Sergiy Kyslytsya, called the vote “amazing” and “a historic moment.” U.S.
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said supporters were “holding our breaths”
and called it “a monumental day.” European Union Ambassador Olof Skoog called
it “a great success” that sends “a resounding message to Russia that they are
and remain isolated.”
During two days of speeches at
the assembly’s resumed emergency special session on Ukraine speaker after
speaker accused Russia of violating key principles of the United Nations
Charter — respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all U.N.
member nations.
There was intense lobbying by
supporters of the EU-facilitated resolution ahead of Wednesday’s vote.
U.S. envoy Thomas-Greenfield
told the assembly before the vote that when the United Nations was established
on the ashes of World War II it was built on an idea — “that never again would
one country be allowed to take another’s territory by force.”
Afterward, she told reporters
the vote means “that in the eyes of the world and the United Nations, Ukraine’s
borders remain the same.”
“The resolution also sends an
enormously important signal to Moscow and to everyone: It does not matter if
you as a nation are big or small, rich or poor, old or new. If you are a U.N.
member state, your borders are your own and are protected by international
law,” Thomas-Greenfield said. “They cannot be redrawn by anyone else by force.”
A key issue for the
resolution’s Western backers was how many countries would support it, and the
result went beyond their most optimistic expectations.
The General Assembly voted
141-5 with 35 abstentions March 2 to demand an immediate Russian cease-fire,
withdrawal of all its troops and protection for all civilians. On March 24, it
voted 140-5 with 38 abstentions on a resolution blaming Russia for Ukraine’s
humanitarian crisis and urging an immediate cease-fire and protection for
millions of civilians and the homes, schools and hospitals critical to their
survival.
But the assembly voted by a
far smaller margin April 7 to suspend Russia from the U.N.’s Geneva-based Human
Rights Council over allegations Russian soldiers in Ukraine engaged in rights
violations that the United States and Ukraine have called war crimes. That vote
was 93-24 with 58 abstentions.
A 2014 resolution affirming
Ukraine’s territorial integrity and declaring the referendum that led to
Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula illegal was adopted by a vote of
100-11 with 58 abstentions.
Among the surprise supporters
of Wednesday’s resolution were the “yes” votes from Saudi Arabia, the United
Arab Emirates and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council as well as
Brazil.
Russia’s U.N. ambassador,
Vassily Nebenzia, had appealed to countries to vote against the resolution,
calling it “a politicized and openly provocative document” and denouncing its
sponsors as “unscrupulous Western blackmailers.” He expressed regret the vote
was not by secret ballot, as Russia sought but the assembly rejected.
Nebenzia reiterated Russia’s
claims the referendums were valid, saying “the populations of these regions do
not want to return to Ukraine.”
The four countries that joined
Russia in voting against the resolution were North Korea, Belarus, Syria and
Nicaragua.
Ukraine’s Kyslytsya expressed
profound regret that the four countries made “the wrong choice against the U.N.
Charter” and urged them to reconsider their commitment to the U.N.’s
principles.
The more powerful Security
Council, whose resolutions are legally binding, has been stymied on taking
action on Ukraine because of Russia’s veto power, which it used Sept. 29 to
block condemnation of Russia’s attempts to annex Ukrainian territory.
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