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Sudan Tribune

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Juba warns looming sanctions could undermine ongoing peace negotiations

November 5, 2014 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese government warned on Wednesday that looming western sanctions against individuals could undermine efforts to find a lasting solution to the more than 10-month-long conflict.

South Sudan's Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin  (AP)
South Sudan’s Minister Barnaba Marial Benjamin (AP)
In an exclusive interview with Sudan Tribune on Wednesday, South Sudan’s foreign affairs minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, said the government remained fully committed to the peace process.

“Under the current situation, the government has made significant steps and made several concessions for the sake of peace,” Benjamin said.

Negotiations between South Sudan’s warring parties, which are being mediated by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) in Ethiopia, have broken down several times, with a ceasefire deal signed by both sides failing to hold.

Benjamin has called on the international community to stand with South Sudan and to continue to support peace efforts.

“Instead of apportioning blame and sanctions, the people of South Sudan and their government under the leadership of President Salva Kiir Mayardit feel it is time the international community, particularly the United States of America, the United Nations, the European Union member countries and the African union, come together with [the] Intergovernmental Authority on Development to vigorously support [the] peace process,” said Benjamin on Wednesday.

The minister, a close political ally of president Salva Kiir, said he is due to accompany the president to Ethiopia on Thursday to attend a special summit bringing together IGAD heads of state and governments to discuss ways to address the ongoing conflict.

“We understand the frustration with the international community and our people, but our position stems from the fact that the adoption of such decisions at a time when [the] peace process requires acting together and helping the parties is a step along the path of undermining this process,” said Benjamin, who declined to provide further details of several concessions he said were made.

The minister’s comments come after the United States indicated it is seeking a UN resolution authorising international sanctions against individuals undermining South Sudan’s political stability and abusing human rights.

On Sunday, Canada announced that it would impose targeted sanctions against two military officers from both sides of the conflict.

The Canadian foreign affairs ministry said the sanctions would apply to rebel commander Peter Gadet and the commander of the presidential guards, Marial Chanuong.

The officers in question are alleged to have directly or indirectly facilitated or supported ongoing hostilities in the country.

Canada joins the US and European Union, both of which have already imposed targeted sanctions on South Sudanese individuals in relation to ceasefire violations.

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the foreign affairs ministry, Mawien Makol, said sanctions were not “helpful” at a time when the government had made significant progress in peace talks.

“These sanctions would not help. They can never be helpful because sanctions are applied to the intransigence party. They should be applied to the rebels because they are the ones violating the cessation of hostilities and attacking positions of the government forces in areas of deployment,” he said.

“Everybody knows this and the international community condemned recent attacks on Bentiu,” he added, referring to last week’s renewed clashes in the oil-rich capital of Unity state.

Government and rebel forces have been locked in a violent struggle since mid-December last year after an internal split emerged in the country’s ruling party.

The conflict has killed thousands and displaced more than 1.5 million people, hundreds of thousands of which fled to neighbouring countries.

(ST)

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