Russia opposes UN arms embargo on South Sudan leaders

South Sudan opposition leader Riek Machar in Kampala on January 25, 2016. PHOTO BY ABUBAKER LUBOWA 

In Summary

Russian Deputy UN Ambassador Petr Iliichev said sanctions were not conducive for the peace process.

The panel submitted a confidential list of four names for sanctions: President Salva Kiir, rebel chief Riek Machar, army boss Paul Malong and internal security chief Akol Koor.

By AFP
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JUBA, Saturday

Russia has opposed an arms embargo on South Sudan and sanctions on its leaders for their role in the brutal two-year war.

A UN panel of experts has recommended the measures in a report to the Security Council, which is struggling to forge a common approach to try to end the violence in the world’s youngest nation.

Russian Deputy UN Ambassador Petr Iliichev said sanctions were not conducive for the peace process because the panel proposed putting the president and rebel leader on the sanctions blacklist.

The panel submitted a confidential list of four names for sanctions: President Salva Kiir, rebel chief Riek Machar, army boss Paul Malong and internal security chief Akol Koor.

Diplomats confirmed the names on the list. Kiir and Machar signed a peace deal in August that has failed to take hold, but Iliichev said there was slight progress in steps to form a national unity government.

“The government of national unity, the transitional governance, is almost there, and we are going to cut everything with sanctions,” he said.

On the embargo, the Russian envoy said it was a “no-go” because it would hit the government harder than the opposition. “The region is inundated with arms. What we need is to control the weapons that are there,” he said.