During the official opening of the First Session of the Revitalized Transitional National Legislature on Wednesday, President Kiir stressed that sanctions were no longer serving their original purpose.
“I reiterate our call for the immediate lifting of sanctions and the arms embargo. These measures have served their purpose; they now hinder our progress and security reform,” said Kiir.
The president also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the Revitalized Peace Agreement, emphasizing South Sudan’s foreign policy stance on peaceful coexistence, regional cooperation, and mutual respect.
He also announced the reconstitution of the High-Level Standing Committee tasked with overseeing the full implementation of the peace roadmap. The committee is expected to work closely with electoral bodies and transitional justice institutions ahead of the planned general elections in 2026.
“We have achieved important milestones: the establishment of revitalised institutions, the graduation and deployment of unified forces, and the ongoing dialogue with political formations at all levels,” Kiir noted.
He called on all parties to the peace process to recommit fully to the transitional tasks without setting preconditions or reservations, to pave the way for free, fair, and credible elections.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has maintained annual extensions of the arms embargo on South Sudan. The embargo was first imposed in 2015 in response to the country’s devastating civil war.
While the measures were intended to curb the violence and push warring parties towards peace, South Sudanese authorities now say that they have become counterproductive. The government has graduated over 20,000 unified forces of the transition unity.
