South Sudan Regrets UNSC Extension of Arms Embargo

On Wednesday, South Sudan regretted the renewal of the arms embargo and sanctions by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

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"We have regretted and objected to any renewal of the sanction because this is unjustified; this was done in bad faith and ill intention under the spotlight of being a state with a lot of abuses," said Deng Dau Deng, South Sudan's acting minister of foreign affairs.

On Tuesday, the UNSC adopted a resolution to renew for a year, till May 31, 2024, arms embargo measures against South Sudan as well as targeted sanctions of the travel ban and asset freeze against individuals and entities.

Resolution 2683, which was adopted with ten votes in favor and five abstentions, also decides to extend the mandate of the Panel of Experts, which assists the work of the South Sudan Sanctions Committee, until July 1, 2024.

Dau said South Sudan has been working tremendously in implementing the provisions of the agreement and have gone far to implement the provisions of the benchmark that was earmarked for the removal of these sanctions.

He stressed that the renewal of the arms embargo will affect the implementation of the peace agreement both in the security transition as they want to graduate and arm the unified forces in the cantonment site and deploy them to take up their duties in providing security.

Dau said the arms embargo will also affect the economy of the country as prices will increase and investors will shun the country.

"Arms embargo is a factor that affects the economy, the trade, the commerce, and the security of the country. Prices will now shoot up because we are a landlocked country and South Sudan relies heavily on things that are imported from the neighboring countries, therefore, the prices will increase, and the investors will not have interest in coming to South Sudan because it is a country under sanction," Dau said.