Kenya, 142 Other Nations Supports Palestinian Rights at UN Amid Escalating Gaza Conflict
Kenya has supported a key resolution at the United Nations that gives the State of Palestine more rights and privileges within the international organization.
This decision comes amid increasing violence in the Gaza Strip, with calls at the United Nations Civil Society Conference in Nairobi for an immediate end to the conflict.
Nairobi had not commented on the situation since President William Ruto initially supported Israel when the conflict began.
Ambassador Martin Kimani, Kenya’s representative at the United Nations, strongly supported the motion during a recent General Assembly debate and vote.
In his speech, Ambassador Kimani emphasized the concept of self-determination, noting, “We cannot deny others who seek self-determination just as we cannot deny our origins as a country founded on a struggle for independence.”
The United Nations General Assembly’s approval of the Palestinian bid for full UN membership is a significant step in the long-standing pursuit of statehood.
With 143 member states supporting and only nine opposing, including the United States and Israel, the decision demonstrates broad global support. Additionally, 25 countries abstained from the vote.
In the East African region, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia, and Djibouti all supported the motion.
The General Assembly resolution “determines that the State of Palestine should therefore be admitted to membership” and “recommends that the Security Council reconsider the matter favorably.”
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Riyad Mansour, Palestine’s ambassador to the UN, passionately urged the General Assembly before the vote to support “freedom, justice, and peace in this darkest hour.”
Although the resolution does not grant full UN membership, it recommends that the Security Council review Palestine’s status positively.
Despite diplomatic progress in New York, worries about the ongoing Gaza conflict were evident at the United Nations Civil Society Conference in Nairobi.
Civil society groups expressed their collective dismay, calling for an immediate end to the violence in the region.
The death toll in Gaza from Israeli attacks since October 7 stands at 34,904, with tens of thousands wounded.
In Israel, Hamas’s retaliatory strikes have resulted in 1,139 deaths, with several people still held captive.
Amid chants of solidarity such as “In our thousands, in our millions, we are all Palestinians,” Carole Agengo, Co-Chair of the Planning Committee of the 2024 Civil Society Conference, delivered a powerful closing statement.
She emphasized the need for immediate action, stating, “The situation in Palestine requires immediate ceasefire, and indeed, we are all Palestinians.”
Kenya, 142 Other Nations Supports Palestinian Rights at UN Amid Escalating Gaza Conflict