Rights activist urges US to impose additional sanctions on peace spoilers

January 11, 2020 Newsbeat

Ter Manyang Gatwech, Human Rights Activist and CPA’s National Coordinator (Photo: Profile Picture)

January 11th, 2020 (SSNN)—The Center for Peace and Advocacy (CPA), A Ugandan-based civil society group, has welcomed the recent sanctions imposed on South Sudan’s First Vic-President Taban Deng Gai and urged the United States to keep imposing more sanctions on those who jeopardize the implementation of the peace agreement.

Ter Manyang Gatwech, a human rights defender, welcomes the sanctions and says that those designated by the United States should now own up to responsibility for their actions.

“The sanctions imposed on First Vice President Gen. Taban Deng Gai is long overdue. Taban will not face the music alone because more sanctions are underway coming for those who have been jeopardizing the implementation of the peace agreement in the country,” said Ter.

“General Taban Deng Gai has committed serious human rights violations, including, killings, rape, sexual assault, intimidations of human rights defenders in [the] East Africa region, political leaders both interior and exterior, torture, arbitrary arrest, property destruction and forced displacement of South Sudanese citizens due to war of 2016 in Juba.”

Last week, the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) took decisive action against First Vic-President Taban Deng Gai, by imposing tough sanctions and banning him from engaging in business activities with U.S. financial institutions.

Deng, according to the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has been responsible for some of the worse atrocities committed against opposition members.

He was also accused of inciting, creating divisions and sowing distrust in the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement in Opposition (SPLM-IO).

CPA’s National Coordinator, Ter Manyang Gatwech urges the African Union Commission and other international bodies to establish the Hybrid Court for South Sudan in order to investigate and prosecute individuals responsible for serious violations of international human rights law.

The group’s National Coordinator called on foreign financial institutions to enforce the measures taken against South Sudan’s high-profile figures.

“We encourage regional financial institutions and financial regulators to take targeted measures against banks, institutions and account holders linked to persons responsible for violence against civilians in South Sudan.”

“In addition, CPA encourage the US Government to use its leverage over Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Sudan to ensure regional enforcement of existing sanctions which are necessary to influence the calculations of the South Sudanese leadership to avert violence and secure peace in South Sudan.”

“To augment this, we will be working with influential leaders in the region, who can shuttle diplomacy and persuade political leaders in the region to leverage the political influence they have over the elite of South Sudan to honor the ongoing ceasefire.”