Africa-Press – South-Sudan. The Minister of Information Michael Makuei Lueth has yesterday downplayed the impact of the economic sanctions renewed against him by the United Kingdom. Makuei said he has no money to worry about the continued financial sanctions by the United Kingdom.
“I have no knowledge about the sanctions but what I know is that I have no money so that the financial sanctions are taken against me. I don’t travel anywhere. I don’t need to go to Europe where I am sanctioned but I am here in South Sudan,” he stressed.
Makuei added that the issue of sanctions is meant to deter peace implementation. The minister further said imposing sanctions on South Sudanese is not the way to go and called for the lifting of sanctions.
“They should lift sanctions imposed on any South Sudanese,” Makuei emphasized. This comes after the UK on Thursday renewed financial sanctions against Makuei.
The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI) renewed financial sanctions against the minister citing obstruction of the implementation of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) through inflammatory public statements, human rights violations, including restrictions on freedom of expression.
Makuei who doubles as the government’s official spokesperson was first sanctioned in 2019 when the South Sudan EU Sanctions Regulations came into effect on 31 December 2020. In March 2019, the British government announced targeted financial prohibitions on several political and military officials from the peace parties.
The UK government imposed sanctions against Makuei and other government officials including the leader of SPLA-IO Kitgwang faction Lt. Gen. Simon Gatwech Dual and Paul Malong Awan among others.
The sanctions regulations were made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 (the Sanctions Act) and provide for the freezing of funds and economic resources of certain persons, entities, or bodies involved in actions, policies or activities which threaten the peace, stability and security of South Sudan or undermine efforts to resolve the political crisis and armed conflicts in South Sudan.
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