UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council on Thursday extended an arms embargo and sanctions imposed to stop the spread of violence in South Sudan overcoming resistance from several countries.
The US-drafted resolution was adopted with the minimum amount of support required, with nine countries in favor and six abstentions.
The text criticized the continued violence, including intercommunal violence, economic, security and humanitarian crises in most parts of the African country.
The resolution extends an arms restriction on South Sudan by a year to May 31, 2025.
It also permits the transfer of non-lethal military assistance in support of a 2018 peace agreement without necessitating prior notification.
It also affirms the willingness of the Security Council to review the weapons embargo measures, including their suspension or easing on certain issues.
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Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood said the embargo was necessary to stem the unregulated flow of arms into a region awash with guns.
South Sudan’s ambassador to the UN Cecilia Adeng, who called for a more balanced approach said it is essential to acknowledge the significant achievements they have made.
Amar Bendjama, the ambassador of Algeria which abstained on the vote said the embargo is no longer serving the purposes of which it was established.
Sierra Leone and Mozambique, joining Russia, China, and Guyana also abstained from voting.
Russia’s deputy UN ambassador Anna Evstigneeva said many of the Council sanctions regimes including South Sudan’s are outdated and need to be reviewed.
She said was of the view that it was unfortunate that the US thinks such embargos as a solution for all of the country’s problems.
