UNSC Decides To Extend Existing Sanctions And Arms Embargo Against SSD For An Extra Year

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on Wednesday voted to extend the existing sanctions and arms embargo against South Sudan for another year.

Whereas 13 countries voted in favor of the motion, ‘Russia and China abstained from voting’, China’s representative, Dai Bing, argued that the sanctions were outdated and no longer necessary.

“The situation on the ground has improved, therefore, the sanctions should be lifted”, Bing said.

Dmitry Polyanskiy, Russia’s representative criticized the sanctions regime, claiming that it did not accurately reflect the situation in Darfur urging that the sanctions were impeding the Sudanese government’s state-building and socioeconomic development.

However, John Kelley, a United States representative supported a continuation of monitoring and reporting and as well acknowledged the progress made on benchmarks set by the Juba peace deal signed in 2020.

“Achieving these benchmarks will help Sudan move towards peace and prosperity, which is what its people deserve”, he adds.

It is worth noting that Sudan is under a series of sanctions and an arms embargo imposed in 2005 by the UN during the conflict in Darfur, in the west.

Also, with 13 votes in favor and two abstentions, the Council “decided to extend until 12 March 2024 the mandate of the panel of experts originally appointed under resolution 1591 of 2005 and previously extended” by a number of successive texts voted against Sudan over the past 18 years, according to the new resolution 2676.