South Africa Abstains From UN Vote to Suspend Russia From Human Rights Council, Citizens to Not Take Sides

South Africa Abstains From UN Vote to Suspend Russia From Human Rights Council, Citizens to Not Take Sides

  • South Africa choose to remain neutral during a United Nations General Assembly vote to suspend Russia from the council
  • Government said South African citizens should not take sides in the Russian invasion of Ukraine
  • Russia said that it resigned from the council, however, it had already been removed, and social media users reacted to the situation

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UNITED STATES - South Africans are urged to not take sides in the invasion of Ukraine by Russia after Government refrained from voting in the United Nations General Assembly on the decision to suspend Moscow from the Human Rights Council.

Russia later announced that it quit anyway.

South Africa, abstains from UN vote, suspend Russia from UN human rights council, Ukraine
South Africa opted out of voting against Russia in the UN Human Rights Commission. Image: Michael M. Santiago/Getty
Source: Getty Images

Russia was suspended from the council on Thursday due to its violations of human rights in Ukraine. The decision was made when 93 countries voted in favour of suspending Russia, according to News24. A total of 24 countries voted against the Russian suspension while 58 countries abstained.

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TimesLIVE reported that Ukraine's UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said it's impossible to resign after being dismissed.

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South Africans react to Government's call

@babelfishnyc posted:

“Does anybody have a video of Russia’s statement re “quitting” the HRC at the UNGA? Was there one or was it just Gatilov’s statement? UN only posted the second part of the Emergency Session. Did they intentionally suppress the posting of the first part?”

@Mehitabel1234 shared:

“Good who needs them.”

@Truthan38569458 commented:

“Great! Now kick Russia off the UN Security Council.”

@KebalepileKhula commented:

“Now that's what we call the consistent application of a foreign policy. RSA is equally concerned about every violence and conflict around the world. From Tigray to the Middle East, violence is violence no matter who it's meted out against. Russia and Ukraine are no exception.”

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@rens29er said:

“Putin is aggressively trying to colonise Ukraine. Never knew so many South Africans are now cool with this concept.”

@2951cfb921004f2 added:

“Expelled anyway then apparently tried to save face by resigning? Sound like something that happens close to home when politicians & SOE managers are caught out?”

Biden eyes political rebound after historic Supreme Court triumph

Briefly News also reported the Thursday confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the US Supreme Court marks an undeniable success for Joe Biden, with the American president in dire need of fresh political uplift months before midterm elections.

The 79-year-old Democrat has made clear he intends to thoroughly capitalize on the historic appointment, which fulfils a top campaign promise: placing a Black woman for the first time onto the nation's highest court, a nine-justice bench where America's most pressing social debates are decided.

Biden hosted the highly respected judge at the White House on February 25 when he unveiled her as his nominee. Then he made it publicly known he called her up to offer encouragement ahead of marathon US Senate confirmation hearings before the judiciary committee that he himself once chaired as a senator.

Source: Briefly News

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