ICG urges AU to impose sanctions on Kiir and Machar should they fail to implement peace deal
Former Vice-president and Chairman of the SPLM-IO, Dr. Riek Machar Teny and South Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit (Photo:Supplied)
Dec 4th, 2019 (SSNN)-The Brussels-based International Crisis Group (ICG), one of the leading independent sources of conflict analysis, calls on the international community, particularly, the African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC), to impose individual sanctions on South Sudan’s main opponents, President Salva Kiir Mayardit and opposition leader Dr. Riek Machar if they fail to come to a concrete agreement on critical pending tasks.
“One issue that is critical to breaking the impasse is an agreement on the number and boundaries of states, which set the distribution of power across the country,” the group explained.
The group, however recommended that, “The AU Peace and Security Council could also outline to Kiir and Machar that they would face punitive measures, including targeted sanctions, if they fail to reach an agreement. The Council threatened to move toward sanctions last year; the parties signed the peace deal soon thereafter.”
The ICG further recommended that the US government should use its diplomatic approaches and consider calls from the Congress for the nomination of an envoy for South Sudan.
“To bolster mediation efforts, Washington could respond to calls from Congress to nominate a special envoy to South Sudan senior enough to conduct high-level shuttle diplomacy in the region and augment the efforts of U.S. allies in the so-called Troika, the UK and Norway, which already have their own envoys.”
The ICG noted that the recent extension of the 100-day pre-transitional period had prevented an imminent return of conflict that could have led to an all-out war between the country’s armed groups.
“A negotiated 100-day extension for naming a unity government has averted a crisis imperilling a ceasefire between South Sudan’s main belligerents.”
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