Are sanctions behind delays in graduating unified forces?

In 2018, the UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan, which has since been renewed annually. The UNSC said this includes supporting the search for inclusive and sustainable peace in South Sudan.

Several South Sudanese government officials, including President Salva Kiir, have repeatedly argued that the arms embargo has affected the graduation of unified forces and the implementation of Chapter Two of the R-ARCSS as a whole, claims some continue to disagree with.

“Those guns being collected from the hands of civilians have expired, and it will not be possible to graduate the national army with expired guns. The unified forces need to be equipped with new guns for them to be able to protect the country and its citizens,” Lul Ruai Koang, the spokesperson for the South Sudan People Defence Forces (SSPDF), was quoted by Radio Tamazuj as having said, “Some of those soldiers who reported to training camps came without guns, especially some soldiers from the opposition side reported to training sites without any guns.”

While speaking last month about the retreat for the leadership of South Sudan, according to New Vision, President Museveni “observed” that the sanctions imposed on the country “were wrong because they created a vacuum” and he called on “the leaders and stakeholders to work towards the lifting of the sanctions.” He also said that the South Sudan government and all stakeholders must work towards holding elections to have sustainable peace.

United Kingdom Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador, James Kariuki, in a statement at the Security Council briefing last month said the UK is also pleased that the graduation of the necessary unified forces is imminent, but added that they refute the argument that the arms embargo was responsible for the lengthy delays in graduating the necessary unified forces. “The exemption procedure remains in place to ensure the embargo does not constitute an obstacle to South Sudan’s legitimate security needs,” he said.

Also in her statement, United States Representative to the UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the arms embargo provisions are not responsible for delays in the training and graduation of the necessary unified forces.  

“Its purpose is to create space to advance the peace process and for South Sudanese civil society to participate in its own democracy and governance. The arms embargo helps protect civilians by stemming the flow of weapons into the country,” she said. 

“Should the South Sudanese government require any arms or materials to implement the peace agreement, there is a clear exemption procedure in place. The committee only received one arms embargo exemption request this year, which you just heard, and that request was granted.”

On the arms embargo, part of resolution 2577 (2021) adopted by the UNSC in May last year says:

“The council expressed its readiness to review the embargo measures — including through their modification, suspension, or progressive lifting — in light of progress achieved on five key benchmarks.  Those included the completion by the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity (RTGoNU) of stages 1, 2 and 3 of the country’s strategic defence and security review; the formation of a unified command structure and redeployment of the necessary unified forces; progress on disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration; progress on properly managing existing arms and ammunition stockpiles; and the implementation of the Joint Action Plan for the Armed Forces on addressing conflict-related sexual violence.

The council members requested South Sudan authorities to report on progress achieved on those benchmarks, as well as additional reforms, to the committee established pursuant to resolution 2206 (2015) to oversee the country’s sanctions by no later than April 15, 2022.  They also requested the Secretary-General, in close consultation with the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan (UNMISS) and the panel of experts assisting the sanctions committee, to conduct an assessment of the progress achieved on the key benchmarks by the same date.”

During the last month’s Security Council briefing, it was also mentioned that the Panel of Experts could not participate in the trip of the Sanctions Committee the previous month, “because the slate of proposed candidates has been on hold since June”. It was underlined that “unblocking nominations to the Panel of Experts is important” so that the Committee can fulfil its mandate.

Conclusions

Supporting the peace process would also mean regularly taking a closer look at facts versus the commitments of the parties involved and how all these make a practical impact on the issues concerned.  

Roger Alfred Yoron Modi, a South Sudanese journalist, is the author of the book Freedom of Expression and Media Laws in South Sudan. 

DISCLAIMER: All comments and opinions appearing on this website are those of the authors and do not represent the editorial view of The City Review Newspaper.