US lobby and rights groups urge Obama to impose sanctions on South Sudan
June 18, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – US-based powerful lobby and human rights organizations have filed a petition with US president, Barrack Obama, urging his administration to impose targeted sanctions on individuals responsible for the genocide and war crimes and perpetuating the ongoing civil war in South Sudan.
US earlier imposed travel ban and assets freeze on two commanders from the sides of president Salva Kiir’s government and armed opposition leader, Riek Machar. The group however urged there was need to designate and target many other individuals responsible for the continuation of the war.
“We write to urge you to impose targeted sanctions against more individuals from all parties to the ongoing conflict in South Sudan who are responsible for serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law,” partly reads the letter.
They criticized the Obama administration for only condemning the ongoing situation but not taking a swift action to punish those responsible.
It said the US Treasury Department should collect more evidences about individuals that should be hit with sanctions. It also called on the administration to push both the United Nations (UN) and individual countries around the globe to impose sanctions on the belligerent parties in the young nation.
“In order to shift the calculation of the warring parties in advance of renewed peace talks, and to provide a form of accountability for widespread and horrific violations that have taken place in the conflict, the U.S. needs to take action to ensure the people of South Sudan do not bear the cost of war alone,” it urged.
The call by the rights groups came days before the African Union’s (AU) Peace and Security Council (PSC) called for targeted sanctions during this week’s summit of heads of state and government in Johannesburg, South Africa, and urged the Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to designate individuals who should be sanctioned.
A UN team is reportedly already on the ground in South Sudan touring states for the task of designating individuals responsible for the gross human rights abuses and perpetuation of the 18-month long civil war.
(ST)