SA’s Vote on Russia’s Expulsion From UN Human Rights Council Prompts Call for Biden to Ramaphosa
- US President Joe Biden and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa held talks following the expulsion of Russia from the UN Human Rights Council
- According to reports, Biden initiated the call with Ramaphosa, the two statesmen discussed the war in Ukraine and what needed to be done
- South Africa abstained from the vote on Russia's suspension, this was the third time South Africa abstained on a vote over the war
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PRETORIA - US President Joe Biden held talks with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa following Russia's expulsion from the United Nations Human Rights Council. South Africa abstained from the vote while the majority of the world voted to expel Russia. A small group of counties chose to vote against the resolution.
Ramapohosa's government has been accused of not taking a hard enough stance against Russia and refusing to condemn the invasion of Ukraine. The South African president has called for an overhaul of the UN Security Council calling it "outdated".
Source: Getty Images
The vote to expel Russia from the Human Rights Council was the third time that South Africa abstained from voting on resolutions over the war in Ukraine. Ramaphosa revealed that he and Biden had discussed the war and the need for dialogue and a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
eNCA reported that according to local reports, Biden was the one who initiated the call with Ramaohosa.
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Russia is the second country in history to be expelled from the Human Rights Council, Libya was suspended in 2011.
"Violence is violence": SA abstains from UN vote to suspend Russia from council
Earlier, Briefly News reported that 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.
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.
TimesLIVE reported that Ukraine's UN Ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya said it's impossible to resign after being dismissed.
Source: Briefly News
