UN chief warns South Sudanese leaders of sanctions if no peace
May 1, 2015 (NEW YORK) – The United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has warned leaders of the warring parties in South Sudan to stop war or face sanctions by the world body.
South Sudan’s leaders, he said, had failed their people because of their personal ambitions and unwillingness to compromise in the peace talks and should face the consequences this time.
“Should the parties fail to show willingness to compromise, and continue giving priority to military confrontation, those responsible will have to face the consequences,” he said, reminding the Security Council about the February established sanctions regime for South Sudan.
The targeted sanctions would include travel ban, assets freeze and arms embargo on the country.
The UN chief said the South Sudanese warring parties were also recruiting children to fight and restricting the work of peacekeepers of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) which has been sheltering 118,000 people at civilian protection sites.
The UN chief stated that if the next round of peace talks in Addis Ababa will not produce a peace agreement to end the war, it was time those responsible for its continuation were punished by the international community.
South Sudan plunged into the civil war in mid-December 2013 when political debates on reforms turned violent within the ruling party of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM).
The conflict further developed into tribal fight when militia forces loyal to president Kiir from ethnic Dinka group targeted and killed “thousands” of Machar’s Nuer community members in the capital, Juba.
The fighting has since spread into other states, particularly in the oil rich states of greater Upper Nile region, further reducing oil production and threatening economic collapse in the country.
Tens of thousands of people have died, millions displaced and threatened by hunger and diseases throughout the country.
The two parties have been accusing each other of violating the cessation of hostilities agreement they signed since 23 January 2014 and continuing to carry out counter attacks.
Ban Ki-moon, deplored the human rights situation and reiterated his call on the African Union Peace and Security Council to consider the release of the African Union Commission of Inquiry report on South Sudan.
The peace process mediated in Addis Ababa by the East African regional bloc, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), collapsed on 6 March when the two leaders could not agree on almost everything that pertained to leadership structure, governance system, power sharing and distribution of wealth as well as security arrangements and accountability for those who committed human rights violations.
IGAD said it has been developing a new mediation mechanism which seeks to include other regional and international bodies and countries to resume the peace process.
The Security Council is expected to meet soon to discuss the report and renew UMISS mandate which will expire by 30 May 2015.
(ST)
The report of the secretary-general on South Sudan from February to April 2015