Eritrea was one of just five states, including Russia, to vote against a United Nations resolution on Wednesday that called on the Kremlin to “immediately, completely and unconditionally withdraw all of its military forces from the territory of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders.”

The others voting against the resolution included North Korea, Syria and Belarus.

Although the resolution passed by a wide margin, with 141 nations voting in its favor, there were 35 states that abstained during the emergency session of the UN General Assembly. Among them were a number of African nations, many of whom have kept a diplomatic low profile as the Russia-Ukraine crisis intensifies.

Algeria and the Central African Republic were among those to abstain during the UN vote, as were Mali, Namibia, Sudan and South Africa.

African nations that voted in favor of the resolution included Benin, Djibouti and Egypt, Nigeria, Zambia and Ghana.

“The message of the General Assembly is loud and clear,” said United Nations Secretary General António Guterres. “End hostilities in Ukraine now. Silence the guns now. Open the door to dialogue and diplomacy now.”

The resolution affirms the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, with UN member states expressing their concern over civilians being targeted in Ukraine.

Guterres called on the world to act quickly, adding that the situation in Ukraine threatens to get much worse and that “the ticking clock is a time bomb.”

Image: EU at UN