UN imposes arms embargo on South Sudan

The United Nations Security Council imposed an arms embargo in South Sudan, nearly five years after the outbreak of the civil war in the country

China, the Ethiopia, Bolivia, Equatorial Guinea and Kazakhstan abstained from voting for this measure as part of regional attempts to revitalize the South Sudan peace process

. An American attempt to impose the measure in December 2016 – under the previous US administration of President Barack Obama – did not get enough votes in favor.

"The people of South Sudan have endured unimaginable suffering and unspeakable atrocities, and their leaders have failed," Nikki Haley, United States Ambbadador to the United Nations, told the Council before the vote. we need violence to stop. "

South Sudan, which separated from North Sudan in 2011, is caught up in a civil war unleashed since 2013 by a political rivalry between President Salva Kiir and his former MP Riek Machar, the war was marked by accusations of atrocities by all parties and fears of genocide.

UN soldiers have been deployed since the Independence in 2011. Last Friday, the government and the opposition signed an agreement on security measures.] .
The Ethiopian ambbadador to the UN, Tekeda Alemu, told the council before the vote imposing the arms embargo undermines the peace process and the African Union and regional bloc is -africain believe that "this is not the right time to take such measures". Ma Zhaoxu said the Security Council should have listened to African leaders on the issue.

Akuei Bona Malwal, UN ambbadador to South Sudan, told the Council that this resolution "would undermine peace" and "is a slap in the face of organizations trying to bring peace in South Sudan ". Kiir's term until 2021 in a move likely to undermine peace talks as opposition groups said the change would be illegal.

British Ambbadador to the UN, Karen Pierce, said: "This is not a resolution on the peace process.This is a resolution designed to protect the people South Sudan … We expect the peace process to continue. "