UN team in South Sudan to investigate those liable for sanctions
June 13, 2015 (BOR) – A United Nations investigation team is in South Sudan’s Jonglei state to investigate allegations that some individuals and entities should face sanctions for obstructing the peace process.
The probe team is led by arms experts, Vladimir Zhagora from Belarus. Other members include, Lucas Van de Vondervoort from Holland, humanitarian affairs expert, Anna Oosterlinck from Belgium, Payton Knopf for regional issues from United States as well as natural resources and finance expert, Andrew Atta Asamoah from Ghana.
“What the investigating are doing will not bring sanction to the whole country, but to individuals who would be identified to have obstructed the peace process,” said Vladimir said on Saturday.
“There will be no misunderstanding. There are no blanket sanctions against people [and] if at all there will be any sanction, it be against individuals who obstructed the peace process”, he added.
Vladimir handed over a copy of the resolution of the proposed sanctions by UN on un-named individuals in the journalists in Bor.
The resolution does acknowledge crimes against humanity, including extrajudicial killings, rape and other acts of sexual violence, enforced disappearances, and arbitrary detention were committed by both government and opposition forces as well as war crimes.
The UN, which based its arguments on reports provided by its mission in South Sudan, stressed the urgent and imperative need to end impunity in the country and bring to justice perpetrators of crimes.
The document also expressed concerns about the conflict that resulted in great human suffering, including significant loss of life, displacement of 2 million people, and the loss of property, further impoverishing and disadvantaging the people of South Sudan.
There have been repeated calls for sanctions on the country’s leaders, whose involvement have allegedly impeded the ongoing peace process mediated by the East African regional bloc (IGAD).
Talks between South Sudan government and the armed opposition groups led by its former vice-president, Riek Machar have been shaky, forcing the mediators to initiate an IGAD-Plus arrangement involving five African countries, the African Union, UN, China and the Trioka trio of United States, Britain and Norway to give it headway.
The UN Security Council could impose sanctions for an initial one-year period, a travel ban and asset freezes for individuals and entities identified by members of a sanctions committee it established.
The ongoing probe reportedly involve police, prison, wildlife and fire brigade under one category as organised forces, South Sudan army, civil societies and government officials.
(ST)