New York, USA
The UN Security Council on Friday approved a resolution extending until May next year an arms embargo on South Sudan and a travel ban and financial sanctions for targeted individuals.
The United
States-drafted document received 12 votes in favour, with Russia, China
and South Africa abstaining.
The 15-member
body first imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan in 2018 and
subsequently renewed it in 2019 to prevent a continuation of civil
war.
The council
additionally scheduled a midterm review of the measures to take place by
December 15 and expressed its "readiness to consider adjusting
measures."
The body was
also asked to provide a report by the end of October on the role of the arms
embargo in implementing the 2018 peace deal as well as provide options for
developing benchmarks in South Sudan, which is emerging from a ruinous
six-year civil war.
The
resolution urges South Sudan’s leaders to finalize establishment of the
transitional unity government and fully implement the 2018 peace agreement,
including allowing unhindered humanitarian access to deliver aid.
The
resolution recognizes that violence has been reduced since the peace deal was
signed, that the cease-fire is being upheld in most of the country, and that
the unity government is striving to address the coronavirus pandemic.
However it
reiterates the council’s concern at the political, security, economic and
humanitarian situation in South Sudan and strongly condemns human rights
violations, including “harassment and targeting of civil society, humanitarian
personnel and journalists.”
It also expresses
“deep concern at reports of misappropriation of funds that undermine the
stability and security of South Sudan.
In a
statement on Friday, Amnesty International welcomed the renewal of the arms
embargo.
"It is
crucial to curtailing the flow of weapons that have been used to commit war
crimes, human rights violations and abuses," said Deprose Muchena, the
group's director for East and Southern Africa, calling on all UN members to
apply the embargo.
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