South Sudan’s FVP denounces U.S. sanctions against him
January 9, 2019 (JUBA) – South Sudan’s First Vice-President Taban Thursday Deng Gai denied allegations by the U.S. Treasury of his involvement in the murder of two activists and scribed it “as baseless and unfounded”.
On Wednesday the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury imposed targeted sanctions on Gai saying he worked to obstruct peace implementation in the country and was behind the kidnapping and the murder of human rights lawyer Samuel Dong Luak (Dong) and SPLM-IO member Aggrey Idry (Aggrey).
However, on Thursday, he rejected the accusations saying he had been wrongly accused and vowed to work with the U.S. administration to prove his innocence.
“I have been wrongly accused of serious human rights abuses and sanctioned by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control,” Gai said.
The first vice-president who had split from the SPLM-IO under the leadership of Riek Machar before to join the government in Juba also dismissed that he worked to obstruct the implementation of the peace agreement signed with the main rebel group.
“I pledge to continue working with the United States and the international community at large to demonstrate such commitment and prove the unfounded nature of the allegations made towards me,” he further added.
The south Sudanese presidency did not issue a statement on the matter.
But Ateny Wek Ateny the presidential spokesman told Reuters that the first vice president has worked to end the war in the country and that he “should be encouraged”.
Ateny further expressed fears that the sanctions would worsen the situation in the country.
The State Department in a statement issued Wednesday said that Taban Deng “acted on South Sudanese President Salva Kiir’s behalf to divide and sow distrust, extend the conflict in South Sudan, and impede the reconciliation and peace process”.
Also, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee welcomed the stations against the South Sudanese senior official.
“U.S. Treasury’s decision to sanction South Sudan’s First VP, Taban Deng Gai, is the right one”.
The individual sanctions against Gai will freeze the U.S. assets of the first vice-president and prohibit Americans firms and nationals from doing business with him.
In December 2019, the OFAC sanctioned two South Sudanese officials including the Defence and cabinet affairs ministers. They have been, also accused to obstructing peace implementation.
(ST)