South Sudan contests U.S. extension of national security order
April 1, 2016 (JUBA) – South Sudanese government on Friday expressed dissatisfaction with the extension for an additional year of the executive order declaring national emergency with respect to South Sudan.
Through its renewal on 30 March, Washington wants to show its seriousness to deal with those who can obstruct peace implementation and take sanctions against them.
However the acting South Sudanese Foreign Minister Peter Bashir Gbandi on Friday told Sudan tribune that war has stopped in the new nation, and there is no reason justifying the renewal of the emergency executive order.
“The renewal of the national emergency is unfortunate because the situation has changed. There is a peace in the country and the government is working hard with all the partners, including members of the troika countries in which US plays a key role in the process,” Gbandi said.
“The war has been stopped with the signing of the Compromise Peace Agreement with the SPLM-IO. Now, the forces of the Opposition have started coming to Juba and their leader is expected to come soon even before the completion of the deployment of all his forces,” he added.
The South Sudanese top diplomat pointed to this “positive development”, and said the peace parties need to be assisted by international community to move forward with the implementation of the peace agreement.
This is what the international community including the government and people of United States should do at the moment,” he stressed.
President Obama said in his 30 March decision extending the national emergency that the situation in South Sudan continues to ”pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States”.
Observers in Juba say the two-year conflict in South Sudan has broken the trust of the American administration in the leaders of a country that they invested much to establish and presented as a contribution to stability. and democracy in the region.
(ST)