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BBC Pidgin of Wednesday, 13 December 2023

Source: BBC

UN vote for Israel to ceasefire for Gaza, shey e go change anytin?

Results of the UN resolution projected in the UNGA Hall Results of the UN resolution projected in the UNGA Hall

Di United Nations General Assembly don vote for one non-binding resolution wey demand for “immediate humanitarian ceasefire for Gaza.”

More dan three quarter of di 193 members of di General Assembly bin vote support for di ceasefire.

Na 153 kontris vote in favour of di resolution while US, Paraguay, Austria and Israel dey among di 10 members wey vote against am, and UK, Italy, Netherlands and Ukraine dey among 23 wey no vote at all.

Dis resolution dey come just afta US President Joe Biden tok say Israel dey face diplomatic isolation or say kontris fit begin avoid do tins wit am sake of im anyhow bombing of civilians for Gaza.

For one statement wey Canada, Australia and New Zealand collabo release wey call for ceasefire, dem say: “Di price of defeating Hamas no fit be di continuous suffering of all Palestine civilians.”

Few hours afta di UN General Assembly resolution, di Bishop of di Vatican, Pope Francis, call for immediate ceasefire, di release of Israeli hostages and delivery of humanitarian aid for Gaza.

Dis resolution go change anytin?

Pipo don dey hail di UN Genebral Assembly decision as historic plus oda praises.

But wetin e really mean and wetin and wetin e fit change for di di humanitarian disaster wey Palestine pipo dey face for dia Israel Hamas war?

Di resolution wey dey non-binding no carry political weight but e show how di whole world take dey see wetin Israel dey do for Ukraine.

Why di General Assembly decision no get political weight and e fit change anytin?

According to di laws wey dey guide di UN, na only di decisions or resolutions wey di UN Security Council make na im get power to become law.

Di UN Security Council get unlimited power to make decision and all di kontris for world must to obey am. At least sha, na so e be in theory.

If di UN Security Council make any resolution like to impose sanction on kontri, or force am to ceasefire for wia dem dey fight, di kontris involve must to obey di order.

Di council get fifteen members, five of dem na permanent members - UK, US, France, China and Russia and ten odas.

Di General Assembly resolutions no get any legal power as dem just be recommendations, so kontris no need to obey dem.

But e get power to pass message on wia kontris stand on different world issues.

As di General Assembly dey now, some critics dey see di assembly as place wia na only tok tok dey happun, no action.

So di resolution wey di assembly just pass for Israel to do immediate ceasefire on im military operation for Gaza no mean say Israel go ceasefire. Notin dey to force am to obey.

But as President Biden warn, Israel dey face “diplomatic isolation.”

Meaning say, international community or many kontris for di United Nations go begin sama penalty on Israel for breaking humanitarian and human rights laws of Palestine pipo.

Israel atttack on Gaza to finish Hamas don kill at least 18,205 Palestine pipo including many children plus injure nearly 50,000 since Oct. 7, according to Gaza health ministry.

Di war don also lead to starvation, e don pursue 85% of di population comot from dia house and cause disease to spread, according to UN and Gaza health ministry.