UN Security Council urged to withdrawal arms embargo on South Sudan

JUBA – The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) should withdraw recent extension of sanctions and arms embargo on South Sudan, said Deng Bior Deng, Secretary-General of Democratic Change Party.

On May 29, the United Nation Security Council adopted a resolution extending until May 31, 2022 arms embargo, travel, and financial sanction for targeted individuals in South Sudan.

According to UN Security Council, the embargo is meant to deny the country of arms and other resources that would fuel crisis, but authorized a mid-term review of the measures by December 15 this year.

Russia, China, and South Africa have argued that sanctions are not conducive to promoting the peace process, so they abstained on the resolution.

“We appeal to the international community to reconsider or withdraw the decision of sanctions and arms embargo imposed on South Sudan,” Bior told reporters in Juba during an occasion to mark 12^th anniversary of the party.

Communal violence

Deng urged the unity government to address the issues of tribal and clan disputes in various states.

“We are calling on the government to address the issues of tribal and clan disputes in all ten states,” Deng said.

On May 26, at least 150 people were killed following a 10-day bloody attack in the Pibor Administrative Area, according to local authorities there.

The attackers torched more than 600 houses and displaced thousands of residents.

On the same day, bandits suspected to be from Sudan attacked passengers traveling to Aweil West County, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, and killed two civilians. Among those killed was a local government administrator.

Constitution-making process

He called for immediate swearing-in of lawmakers to pave ways for approval and enactment of the constitution.

The ongoing constitutional process making in South Sudan will pave ways for elections slated to be held in 2023 at the end of transitional period of the 2018 peace deal.

“We support the immediate formation of the permanent constitution-making process in a transitional period,” he said.

“The political Parties Act, the Election Act, and National Security Act to be presented to parliament for approval and enactment,” he added.

The UN Envoy for South Sudan, Nicholas Haysom vowed early last week at a press conference in Juba that the mission will support ongoing constitutional making process in the country.