Gambia is among 141 countries that voted in favour of the “immediate, complete and unconditional” withdrawal of Russian military forces from Ukraine. The voting took place on 2nd March 2022 at United Nations General Assembly.
Generally, 5 countries voted against while 35 abstained from voting. The countries that voted against the motion are Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Syria and Eritrea.
In Africa, Eritrea is the only African country that voted against the resolution.
17 African countries abstained from voting: South Africa, Algeria, Uganda, Burundi, Senegal, South Sudan, Mali, Mozambique, Sudan, Namibia, Angola, Zimbabwe, Equatorial Guinea, Central Africa Republic, Madagascar, Tanzania and Congo.
All other African countries voted for the immediate withdrawal of Russian forces from Ukraine.
Uganda said it abstained from the vote to uphold “neutrality” as the incoming chair of the Non-Aligned Movement (Nam).
Nam is a forum made up of 120 developing countries to assert their independence from the competing claims of the two superpowers.
In a tweet, Uganda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Adonia Ayebare, said the country will “continue to play a constructive role in the maintenance of peace and security both regionally and globally”.
