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South Sudan risks fresh UN sanctions

Tuesday May 08 2018
makuei

South Sudan Government Spokesman and Information minister Michael Makuei. FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By JOSEPH ODUHA

South Sudan risks being slapped with fresh sanctions as the UN Security Council discusses the young nation in New York Tuesday.

In a brief statement posted on its official website, the agency says the crisis in South Sudan was alarming with political leaders from both sides showing zero or little interest to defuse the situation.

The statement says the council would consider an arms embargo on the young nation after examining a new report on the situation.

The faction

The Security Council was Tuesday discussing possible renewal of the mandate of the Sanctions Committee Panel of Experts on South Sudan to exert pressure on the warring factions to strike a peace deal.

President Salva Kiir leads the faction pitted against the other under the command of his former deputy Riek Machar.

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The experts committee was established in 2015 to administer the implementation of the sanctions related to South Sudan.

The Security Council in 2015 imposed sanctions on some six South Sudan military leaders on ground of fuelling the conflict and orchestrating war crimes and crimes against humanity since the start of the war.

The war

Those sanctioned were the former commander of the Tiger Division, Gen Marial Chanuong, Gen Santino Wol and Gen Jok Riak, from the government side. The opposition group comprised Gen Peter Gatdet, Gen James Koang Chuol and Gen Gatwech Dual.

The US recently slapped sanctions on three more South Sudan leaders namely: Gen Paul Malong, Gen Malek Reuben and Information minister Michael Makuei, for their roles in fuelling the war and corruption in the young nation.

The European Union has also warned that it would impose sanctions on South Sudan should the peace process fail.

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