UN Security Council urged to renew arms embargo against South Sudan News
UN Security Council urged to renew arms embargo against South Sudan

Amnesty International on Wednesday urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) to renew its arms embargo against South Sudan.

The embargo is a part of a series of sanctions that have been in place since 2015, stemming from human rights abuses carried out during the civil war. Both sides of the conflict have been implicated in widespread human rights abuses and war crimes, as reported by the UN, the African Union (AU), and Amnesty International, among others. Although the civil war ended in 2020 with a coalition government, continuing skirmishes and renewed tensions since March have underscored fears of escalation. The embargo has remained in place since 2015 and is up for renewal on May 29 by the UNSC.

The African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC), backed by the three African UNSC member state—Somalia, Sierra Leone and Algeria—has called for the embargo to end, citing a need to reform South Sudan’s security sector and unify the opposing factions. However, Amnesty International criticized this stance, warning of the present political volatility in South Sudan. Amnesty also said ending the embargo would contradict the commitment under the AU’s Agenda 2063 to end all wars on the African continent by 2030.

Amnesty International also stressed the importance of properly enforcing the embargo. Uganda sent military equipment and personnel to South Sudan in March without UNSC approval, which was a direct violation of the embargo and international law, Amnesty charged. Amnesty stated that if Agenda 2063 is to be realized, the UNSC and the AU must ensure arms imports are tightened and that these measures are respected and properly enforced.

The UNSC is the only UN body capable of making resolutions that are binding on member states, for which nine of the 15 members’ votes are needed, so long as none of the five permanent members veto the resolution. Thus, the three African states calling for an end to the embargo would need significant support from the other member states in order to achieve this.

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