US sanctions will undermine peace efforts, says Kiir

April 29, 2014 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese leader, Salva Kiir on Monday voiced concerns over recent threats by the United States to impose sanctions on individuals frustrating peace processes, saying it could undermine efforts to resolve the conflict.

“I don’t know what kind of support of cooperation they are saying. They say one thing in America, in Addis Ababa and to our friends and comrades in the region and also in the world but when they come here, they tell us something else. What is this?,” asked Kiir, according to one of his aides.

“How do you call this kind of behaviour,” he reportedly added.

Both the US and European Union have already threatened South Sudan with sanctions, while the French UN ambassador, Gerard Araud has indicated that the Security Council member states are likely “ready to go down the road of sanctions”.

President Kiir is said to made these remarks shortly before he welcomed Navi Pillay, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights currently in South Sudan.

Pillay was accompanied by Dieng Adama, the UN special advisor on genocide prevention. The two top officials were accompanied by Hilde Johnson, head of the UN mission in the country (UNMISS) upon arrival.

The state-owned SSTV later showed footage of the head of UNMISS holding high level meetings with senior government officials, who included president Kiir.

Pillay said president Kiir “carefully listened” to all the issues they raised with him at the meeting, during which the latter promised that he would not allow any atrocities and human right abuses to continue being committed in the country under his watch.

A close aide to the South Sudan leader said the latter criticised the way the US was relating to his administration, insisting that someone could be reporting “negative things” about the performance of his administration and the country in general.

“There is someone who comes around saying their government recognises the legitimacy of this government and remained ready to work with us, but the moment they leave the country, you see reports threatening sanctions and claims of human right violations. What is this?” Kiir reportedly said.

“Instead of holding Riek [Machar] and his group responsible for all these atrocities they have committed against our people, because everybody knows he was the cause of all this conflict, they come and tell us we should negotiate with him. They don’t value the lives lost. Is this how they want to stabilize the situation?” he added.

Kiir reportedly accused some unnamed individuals of lacking a clear understanding of the situation, but wrongly reported it so as to undermine his country’s sovereignty.

“They say these sanctions will encourage dialogue, but they do not know that they are undermining these efforts”, Kiir reportedly said.

(ST)