South Sudan reacts to renewal of ‘counterproductive’ UN arms embargo

JUBA – South Sudan government on Thursday decried the decision by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) renewal a four-year-old arms embargo and targeted sanctions saying the measure by the world body is “counterproductive” and does not conform to normalization of situation in the war-torn country.

The UN Security Council voted by a narrow margin on Thursday afternoon to extend the arms embargo on South Sudan and a travel ban and financial sanctions for targeted individuals for a year.

The vote on the US-drafted resolution on South Sudan sanctions was 10-0 with China, Russia, India, Kenya and Gabon abstaining.

This comes after the UN panel of experts monitoring sanctions against South Sudan recommended earlier this year that the Security Council extend the arms embargo because of “persistent cease-fire violations” and intensifying violence in the country’s regions.

In a statement, South Sudan’s ministry of foreign affairs and international cooperation said it is disappointed by the decision of the UN Security Council and thanked China, Russia, India, Kenyan and Gabon for abstaining from voting on the resolution.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Republic of South Sudan issues this statement to register its displeasure against the Resolution passed today by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC),” the foreign ministry statement said.

“The UNSC decision to extend sanctions and arms embargo on South Sudan comes amidst the undeniable rise of the Global South. The African people have spoken clearly through the African Union Decision 815 of February 2022 that the sanctions and arms embargo is counterproductive,” the statement added.

The statement said that countries who abstained “understand that the United Nation’s vision of world peace requires that sovereign nations respect one another as equals. They stand in solidarity with the people of South Sudan, for whom these sanctions are a cruel policy with no clear intention.”

The statement further said that the government of the world’s youngest country will continue to push on for reconciliation under the revitalized peace agreement signed by warring parties in 2018 and stressed that normalization of the situation there needs tolerance and patience among the international community as changes won’t be done overnight.

“South Sudan will continue to model reconciliation through our Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU), knowing that other countries too experience violent political discord that requires tolerance, accommodation, and healing. Just as sanctions on those countries would be counterproductive, they are also counterproductive to South Sudan,” the statement said.

“We, instead, invite friendly nations to support our efforts to stabilize the country, including our sovereign right to defend our territorial integrity,” it added.