UN extends South Sudan arms embargo for one more year

UNITED NATIONS – The U.N. Security Council on Thursday extended an arms embargo on South Sudan, despite objections from the South Sudanese government and some African council members.

The embargo, initially imposed in 2018 following years of ethnic conflict, was renewed for the sixth time with a vote of 9-0 in favor of the U.S.-sponsored resolution (2731/2024). Six countries, including Russia and China, abstained from the vote.

The U.S. representative, Robert A. Wood, welcomed the renewal, emphasizing its role in pressuring South Sudan’s warring parties to fully implement the 2018 peace agreement.

“UN arms embargo remains necessary to stamp the unfettered flow of weapons to a region awash with guns,” Wood told the council following the vote.

South Sudan’s representative, Cecilia Adeng, disagreed, arguing that the UN measures hinder the country’s efforts to achieve peace. She reiterated South Sudan’s commitment to cooperating with the U.N. body.

The embargo restricts weapons sales to both the government and opposition groups. It forms part of a broader sanctions regime targeting South Sudan.

The renewal of the sanctions regime comes shortly after a final report by the UN Panel of Experts on South Sudan highlighted limited progress on the peace agreement.

Key sticking points include the structure of a unified national army and police force.

The report, seen by Sudans Post, also noted continued insecurity across the country, including violence over land disputes. It warned that political actors “retain both the means and the will to resort to violence” if dissatisfied with the political process.

South Sudan, which gained independence in 2011, has been ravaged by conflict that killed an estimated 400,000 people.

A revitalized peace agreement signed in 2018 by President Salva Kiir and opposition leader Riek Machar aimed to end the violence. The agreement included elections originally scheduled for December 2022, which were subsequently postponed to December 2024.

Despite the extension of the transitional period, achieving December elections remains unlikely due to unresolved issues.

The resolution extends sanctions until May 31, 2024, while reiterating the council’s willingness to modify or lift the embargo based on progress towards implementing the power-sharing agreement.

South Sudan, in a May 6 report submitted to the council, claimed to have met key benchmarks for potential embargo modification, including progress on security sector reform, governance, and ceasefire implementation.

The government also argued that the embargo restricts its ability to equip and reform the national army and integrate opposition forces, hindering peace efforts.