Follow CGSP on Social Media

Listen to the CGSP Podcast

Why Did 25 African Countries Sidestep the UN’s Vote on Ukraine?

by Cobus van Staden
Infographic by Development Reimagined.

The United Nations General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to censure Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. The majority of African countries were part of the 141 states demanding an end to Russian aggression. Only one African country (Eritrea) joined Russia, Belarus, Syria and North Korea in voting against the resolution.

However, 25 African countries either formally abstained from the vote, or ‘weren’t in the room’ – an effective abstention. The latter included Ethiopia, Morocco, and Togo. Formal abstentions included South Africa, Algeria, Equatorial Guinea and Senegal. The most prominent abstainer was, of course, China. (Here is a list of all the votes.)

Lead the Conversation on China

Subscribe Today to Get Full Access to The China-Global South Project

Check Out Everything You'll Get With Your Subscription

The China-Global South Daily Brief delivered to your inbox at 6AM Washington time

Full access to exclusive news and analysis from editors based in the Global South

Transcripts of CGSP’s twice-weekly podcasts

Students and teachers with a valid .edu email address are eligible for a 50% discount off monthly or yearly subscriptions. Email us to receive a discount code.

You Might Like

Africa, Latin America and the Active Non-Alignment Option

By Jorge Heine Seventeen African countries, most prominently South Africa, abstained in the United Nations General Assembly vote from condemning Russia for invading Ukraine and demanding Moscow stop fighting and withdraw its military forces. Many more ...

Can Beijing Get Away With Hedging in Ukraine?

By Lukas Fiala Horrific images and stories of violence and destruction have reached us from Ukraine this week as Russia’s invasion is rapidly turning into a massive humanitarian crisis. While all eyes are rightfully on ...

China’s Emerging Ukraine Posture Taps into Western Challenges in the Global South

This weekend, Chinese leaders embarked on a diplomatic blitz. President Xi Jinping had a call with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Friday, and during the weekend, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi also met ...

What is The China-Global South Project?

Independent

The China-Global South Project is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Global South stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalists and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Global South discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

Subscribe