6th Governors’ Forum calls for lifting of arms embargo

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6th Governors’ Forum calls for lifting of arms embargo
6th Governors’ Forum calls for lifting of arms embargo

Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Participants at the 6th Governors’ Forum in Juba have appealed to the international community to lift the arms embargo imposed on the country.

The call was one of the resolutions of the Governors Forum that was concluded in the country’s capital, on Wednesday.

The UN Security Council banned the sale of firearms to South Sudan in July 2018, in response to ongoing hostilities and peace agreement violations.

It has been annually renewed upon request of human rights groups and the international community.

But the governors’ forum says the UN Security Council must cancel the arms embargo to enable the government to procure arms for the national army.

The forum also called on the international community and the united nations to support the unified forces with logistics and training.

In his closing remarks at the forum, President Salva Kiir says the embargo has left the country vulnerable to external threats.

“To those supporting arms embargo, please do not think that our country is not under external threat. Do not let our small social differences weaken our country. We need arms to defend our country,” Kiir said while closing the forum.

The arms embargo is one of the hotly contested agenda – that divided participants of the forum along political lines at the annual forum.

Last week, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs Dr. Martin Elia, and the Minister of Information Michael Makuei – rallied the forum to call for the lifting of the UN-imposed arms embargo.

But the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Nathaniel Oyet, and the Minister of Agriculture Josephine Joseph Lagu said there are already many arms in the hands of civilians.

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