South Sudan’s Kiir says arms embargo threatening peace and stability
December 1, 2022 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir has called for lifting of the United Nations arms embargo, saying it threatens the country’s stability.
He was speaking at the closure of the 6th governors’ forum in Juba on Wednesday.
“We intensify our call for lifting unjustified arms embargo. Let us not allow internal grievances to mislead us from defending our country. In the interest of stopping this deliberate attempt. Today I am joining all of you in calling UN to lift arm embargo on us. To those supporting arms embargo, please do not think our country is not under external threat,” said Kiir.
The annual symposium brought together government leaders from South Sudan’s 10 states and the three administrative areas to deliberate on critical national issues ranging from peace, security, development and humanitarian challenges.
President Kiir urged the governors to prioritise addressing sub-national conflicts including communal violence and land disputes in their respective states.
“I am calling upon the governors and the chief administrators, with support of the national organs, to come up with ways to call off this unending communal violence, for example, what is happening between the communities of Twic and Ngok Dinka of Abyei areas,” he said.
Meanwhile the South Sudanese leader said he had invited the Secretary General of the Rome-based Community of Saint’ Edigio which is mediating between the Juba government and the hold-out groups to Juba for further consultations.
This comes barely a month after government suspended talks with these groups.
“Road ambushes have never stopped from the hold out group and for this reason, we have suspended Rome peace talk until this group show commitment. To demonstrate that we have not closed doors for the talks with this group, we have invited the Community of Saint Egidio to come to Juba so that we share our grievances,” explained Kiir.
The hold-out groups reiterated their commitment to the 2017 cessation of hostilities agreement, a week after the Juba government suspended the Rome peace talks.
(ST)