Kiir calls for lifting sanctions, arms embargo
By Denis Ejulu
South Sudanese president Salva Kiir on Wednesday called for lifting the sanctions and arms embargo imposed on the youngest nation in the wake of the conflict that broke out in December 2013.
Speaking during the reopening of the Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA) in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, Kiir said the sanctions and arms embargo imposed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and the United States are now hindering progress and security reform.
“To our international partners, South Sudan’s foreign policy is underpinned by peaceful coexistence, regional cooperation, and mutual respect. We are grateful to the Troika, European Union, Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD), African Union, and others your support remains invaluable. However, I reiterate our call for the immediate lifting of sanctions and the arms embargo,” Kiir said.
The UNSC imposed targeted individual sanctions on senior government and military officials and arms embargo in July 2018, as part of efforts to end years of devastating conflict.
The conflict pitied the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF) against the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-in Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) led by the now detained First Vice President Riek Machar.
In addition, Kiir urged all parties to the 2018 revitalized peace agreement to recommit without setting pre-conditions toward the implementation of the now fragile peace pact.
South Sudan has since 2022, extended the transitional period and elections twice. The country last year postponed elections which were due in December 2025 to 2026.
“To the holdout groups, I extend my hand for peace once more. The suffering of our people must not be prolonged by continued rejection of dialogue,” Kiir said.
He encouraged all hold-out opposition parties that did not sign the peace agreement to join the peace process to realize reconciliation, unity, and nation-building.
“The opposition forces that are for peace must be welcomed and immediately integrated so that we have one national army,” Kiir said.
Kiir also stressed that peace, security, and national unity remain the top priorities of his government, while reiterating never to take Sudan back to war.
“Peace is not the absence of conflict; it is the presence of justice, healing, and unity. We have achieved important milestones: the establishment of the revitalized institutions, the graduation and deployment of unified forces, and the ongoing dialogue with political formations at all levels,” he revealed.
Kiir disclosed that he has reconstituted the High-Level Standing Committee for the implementation of the peace agreement to work closely with the electoral and transitional justice institutions, ensuring that their responsibilities are fully and timely executed.
The president also raised expectations of economic recovery following the recent resumption of oil production, adding that the government has been unable in the past months to pay salaries of civil servants and security forces due to the temporary shutdown of oil production.
The flow of South Sudan’s crude oil through the Sudanese pipeline was disrupted after the infrastructure was damaged in early 2024 due to the ongoing clashes between the Sudan Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which erupted in mid-April 2023.
