Kiir: Embargo Blocking Security Reforms

(JUBA) – South Sudanese President Salva Kiir has renewed his call for the lifting of international sanctions and a United Nations arms embargo, saying they are slowing down peace and security reforms in the country.

Speaking on Wednesday during the opening session of the Revitalized Transitional National Legislative Assembly in Juba, President Kiir said the restrictions were harming the country’s progress towards stability and reform.

“To our international partners, South Sudan’s foreign policy is built on peaceful coexistence, regional cooperation, and mutual respect,” Kiir said.

“However, I reiterate our call for the immediate lifting of sanctions and the arms embargo.”

South Sudan has been under a UN imposed arms embargo since 2018. The ban prohibits the transfer of weapons and military equipment to the country, particularly to the armed groups that were involved in the civil conflict that broke out in December 2013. In addition to the UN measures, South Sudan also faces separate sanctions imposed by the United States and several European countries.

The embargo was intended to reduce violence and human rights abuses during the civil war. However, government officials now argue it is hindering efforts to unify security forces and implement key aspects of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement.

President Kiir used the occasion to urge all signatories to the 2018 peace deal to recommit to its full implementation, warning that setting pre-conditions could derail the fragile progress made so far. He also appealed to opposition groups that did not join the agreement to come on board for the sake of national reconciliation and unity.

“The opposition forces that are for peace must be welcomed and immediately integrated so that we have one national army,” Kiir said.

He stressed that achieving lasting peace, security and national unity continues to be the top priority for his government.

Despite the slow pace of peace implementation, some progress has been made, including the formation of a unified government and the beginning stages of training unified forces. But without the full integration of all opposition factions and the removal of international restrictions, the process remains vulnerable.

South Sudan’s leaders argue that the lifting of sanctions and the arms embargo would allow the country to equip and train a professional national army, speed up reforms and improve regional security cooperation.

The United Nations Security Council most recently renewed the arms embargo in May 2024, despite opposition from several African countries and Russia. The resolution was supported by Western nations citing continuing concerns about human rights violations and the slow pace of the peace process.

President Kiir’s comments suggest his administration intends to keep diplomatic pressure on the international community to reconsider its position, especially as South Sudan prepares for general elections expected in late 2026.