November 21, 2022 (JUBA) – South Sudan says it in talks with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the African Union (AU) member ates to secure the lifting of the arms embargo imposed by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
Speaking to Sudan Tribune on Monday, Security Affairs advisor, Tut Gatluak Manime said the fir batch of unified forces graduated, but lacked weapons for deployment.
“All the forces of the fir batch of the necessary unified forces have been graduated. The remaining region was Upper Nile, but forces have so far been graduated from there. The challenge is with what they are going to be deployed,” said Manime.
He added, “So, we are talking about this with the region, IGAD, Africa and the Security Council of the United Nations”.
In May, the Security Council adopted a resolution to renew till May 31, 2023, an arms embargo again South Sudan. Resolution 2633 also renewed targeted sanctions of travel ban and asset freeze again individuals, entities and extended the mandate of the Panel of Experts, which assis the work of South Sudan Sanctions Committee, till July 1, 2023.
Manime, however, said Juba is in talks with Sudan to push for lifting of embargo.
Sudan, a guarantor of the peace agreement, is the current chairperson of the IGAD.
Since Augu, South Sudan has been graduating forces drawn from parties to the conflict, but have not been deployed due to lack of weapons, amid concerns over arms embargo.
The September 2018 revitalised peace agreement requires the parties to train and graduate a unified force of 83,000 personnel to take charge of security during the transitional period. The unification of the army had delayed amid missed deadlines.
Observers say government has used deployment of unified force as a card to solicit a lift on the arms embargo, claiming it does not have more weapons coming into the country and current weapons in its possession were not sufficient for deployment.
Critics of the government, however, argue that weapons currently in the hands of unauthorised civilians were enough to arm all the country armed forces, if recovered.
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