TWENTY-THREE African nations refused to support a United Nations general assembly vote on Thursday condemning Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which began a year ago.

The non-binding resolution called for a halt to the fighting and the withdrawal of Moscow’s forces.

Some 141 countries supported the resolution, but 32 abstained and seven voted against it — Belarus, Nicaragua, North Korea, Russia and Syria, plus two African states, Eritrea and Mali.

Fifteen African nations abstained — Algeria, Angola, Burundi, the Central Africa Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Sudan, Togo, Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Guinea-Bissau and Senegal all declined to take part in the voting.

Speaking earlier this week, Ugandan Foreign Minister Abubaker Jeje Odongo said: “We were colonised and we forgive those who colonised us. Now the colonisers are asking us to be enemies with Russia, who never colonised us; is that fair?”

Chinese deputy UN ambassador Dai Bing told the general assembly on Thursday: “We support Russia and Ukraine in moving towards each other… The international community should make joint efforts to facilitate peace talks.”

Venezuelan deputy ambassador Joaquin Perez Ayestaran said during the debate on Wednesday that all countries without exception “must stringently comply with the United Nations Charter,” a dig at an international order long dominated by the US and Europe.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky welcomed the resolution, describing it as a powerful signal of global support.

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan claimed that the vote was “an overwhelming demonstration of support for Ukraine.”

The US has ignored general assembly votes condemning its illegal blockade of Cuba for 31 years in a row.

The conflict in Ukraine has turned into a stalemate and left the world facing rising inflation, including higher food and fuel costs.