International concern is as soon as once more shifting to South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation.
The flare-up of a long-simmering battle within the East African nation has claimed hundreds of lives. It has additionally displaced some 2.3 million people and pushed round 60,000 children into malnourishment.
Worldwide efforts to finish the battle have included aUnited Nations (UN) embargo on arms transfers to the events to the conflicts, which expires on Could 31. UN Safety Council members are set to vote on a draft resolution to extend the South Sudan sanctions regime.
In keeping with Amnesty International, the lives of civilians are in danger with out an extension of the arms embargo.
“We urge the [UN] Safety Council to resume the embargo, implement it and shield civilian lives,” mentioned Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa.
“Whereas the UN arms embargo has not been a panacea, the human rights scenario would nearly definitely be worse with out it,” he added.
Amnesty describes as an open violation of the embargo the “deployment of armed Ugandan troopers and navy gear to South Sudan since March 11, 2025.”
Violations of UN sanctions
The UN Safety Council imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan in 2018, and its sanctions regime on the nation dates again to 2015.
On Could 30, 2024, the Council prolonged the sanctions for a yr. Along with the arms embargo, it additionally encompasses asset freezes and journey bans.
On the time, the UN mentioned it was open to reviewing the arms embargo by way of modification, suspension, or progressive lifting. In its estimation, arms shipments violated the UN decision to finish the battle and additional contributed to the instability within the nation.
Nonetheless, a statement by International Crisis Group says that whereas the sanctions “seem to have made it more durable for actors to deploy heavy weapons”, the nation’s porous borders make it troublesome to implement a small arms and light-weight weapons ban.
In a letter to the UN in early 2024, South Sudan’s First Vice President, Riek Machar, accused Uganda of “grave violation” of the arms embargo following the deployment of its troops to South Sudan.
Amnesty’s Disaster Proof Lab just lately verified two movies that includes Uganda Folks’s Defence Forces (UPDF) personnel and gear.
“The primary exhibits dozens of UPDF troopers arriving at Juba Worldwide Airport on March 11. The second exhibits armored personnel carriers and navy vehicles,” Amnesty mentioned.
Amid the reported violations, there’s rising concern over whether or not the UN can successfully intervene and what a renewal of the arms embargo may even imply.
Is UN peacekeeping working?
Just lately, the UN Safety Council prolonged the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) for 12 months, expressing “deep concern” over thedeteriorating situation in the country.
Amid these continued efforts, some residents are questioning the impression of UN peacekeeping efforts.
“The UN is right here in Juba or in different components of South Sudan. They’re there, they’re roaming across the streets, however they can not take an motion,” Abraham Maliet Mamer, Secretary Normal of the South Sudan Funding Authority, instructed DW.
“I do not consider their mandate is evident. You can’t say you might be peacekeeping, what peace are you protecting? Individuals are combating every single day and you are not doing something about it.”
The UN, nevertheless, insists that it is doing all it could to cease the battle.
“This nation has suffered two civil wars earlier than its independence and two after its independence. There isn’t any urge for food for extra struggling within the inhabitants. They’ve suffered so much because of civil wars. So, we have now to cease the civil warfare at no matter value,” Lieutenant Normal Mohan Subramanian, UNMISS Power Commander, instructed DW.
Josey Mahachi and Cai Nebe contributed to this report.
Edited by: Benita van Eyssen
