Chinese envoy calls for lifting of South Sudan sanctions

Parties to a 2018 revitalized peace deal sign an agreement on the structure of a unified army command in Juba, capital of South Sudan, April 3, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

A Chinese envoy on Monday called for the lifting of sanctions imposed by the Security Council as well as unilateral sanctions against South Sudan.

The transitional period in South Sudan will end next year. It is hoped that all parties in South Sudan will sustain the current momentum and move in a steady and orderly manner to achieve the objectives set out for their transitional political structure, security arrangements, and economic reform, said Dai Bing, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

With regard to the unique challenges facing the country in implementing the revitalized peace agreement, the international community should maintain the necessary patience and help the country overcome practical difficulties rather than keep exerting excessive pressure, criticizing it, and imposing sanctions, he told the Security Council.

The council should respond to the appeal of the African Union and lift the arms embargo on South Sudan as soon as possible. An increasing number of Security Council members do not support the current sanctions regime on South Sudan, he said.

"The United States keeps piling up unilateral sanctions on other countries, inflicting tremendous harm on the people of those countries. Sanctions should not be instrumentalized for political ends. Double standards should be abandoned," said Dai.

The intercommunal conflicts in South Sudan have a long history and should be addressed by multiple means such as prevention, mediation, dialogue, and development. The UN secretary-general's report on South Sudan points out that these conflicts mainly stem from competition for resources. The international community should help South Sudan grow its economy, improve livelihoods, and eliminate the root causes of conflicts, he said.

South Sudan's economic reform achieved certain results and the macro-economic situation remains relatively stable. However, humanitarian needs remain large and food insecurity is acute, affecting an estimated 7.7 million South Sudanese this year, he said.

"We call on the international community to maintain and increase aid to South Sudan, and maintain and scale up contributions to UN humanitarian and development agencies. At the same time, the international community should also focus on helping South Sudan strengthen its own development and capacity-building, fully respect its ownership in economic development, unleash its potential in agriculture, energy, infrastructure and other fields, and help the people of South Sudan achieve self-reliance at an early date," said Dai.