S. Sudan’s FM says sanctions will hamper peace

March 4, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – South Sudan’s foreign minister, Barnaba Marial Benjamin, said sanctions on the new nation will hamper peace and affect the very ordinary people.

Sanctions “will not only hinder the peace process but will inherently be felt by our countrymen and women down to the very basic level,” he said.

“We need to remove obstacles obstructing peace not create new ones,” he added.

The minister pointed that the timing of the sanctions is not appropriate as the talks entered its final stages.

The UN Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday unanimously adopted a US drafted resolution setting a framework regime for sanction on spoilers of peace in South Sudan. The sanctions allow for a travel abn, freezing of assets and an arms embargo.

South Sudan’s ambassador to the United Nations Francis Deng called to not implement these “unproductive” sanctions and to engage in a constructive dialogue with the parties to speed up an end of this devastating conflict.

“It is extremely disappointing that the United States of America was a leading architect of this unfortunate and sad resolution,” Benjamin said

US ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power told the UNSC that the adopted framework supports the IGAD efforts, adding that the warring parties must meet the deadline for the resolution of the outstanding issues.

“We are enhancing IGAD’s leverage in the negotiations by sending a very clear signal to those who continue to choose war over peace,” Power said.

(ST)