Chinese envoy calls for lifting sanctions against South Sudan

Dai Bing (L, front), China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks during a UN Security Council briefing on Libya at the UN headquarters in New York, Aug. 30, 2022 (Photo: Xinhua)

A Chinese envoy on Friday called for the lifting of sanctions against South Sudan and for the provision of more international assistance.

The political transition in South Sudan has entered a new and important state as the signatories to the Revitalized Agreement have agreed on a roadmap to extend the transitional period. It is a political decision made independently by the parties in South Sudan. It is also a correct choice in light of the current situation and is conducive to the peace process, said Dai Bing, China’s deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

China welcomes this and hopes that all parties concerned will continue to cooperate and work together to gradually achieve the remaining goals of the transitional period in accordance with the roadmap so as to lay a solid foundation for elections, he told the Security Council.

Some individual countries should understand the practical difficulties faced by South Sudan, take an objective view of the decision on extending the transitional period and should not regard elections as a panacea and should not ignore political efforts made on dialogue and reconciliation among the parties in South Sudan, he said.

The successful graduation and deployment of the first cohort of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) symbolizes significant progress in the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement. It marks a solid step forward in South Sudan’s peace process, he said.

It cannot be ignored that the NUF follow-up and the implementation of other security arrangements contained in the Revitalized Agreement require tangible help from the international community, said Dai. “Cutting off funds while complaining about delays in implementing the agreement is not an effective solution to the problem.”

Security Council sanctions against South Sudan are not conducive to the NUF’s access to the security equipment needed to carry out its mandates. A growing number of council members have already recognized this, he said. “China, once again, calls on the council to pay attention to South Sudan’s concerns and appeals on the issue of sanctions, lift the arms embargo and other sanctions against South Sudan at an early date, and help South Sudan improve its security capacity.”

As the youngest country in the world, South Sudan requires continued support from the international community. Affected by food shortages, violent conflicts and other challenges, South Sudan is facing a dire humanitarian situation and is in urgent need of help, he said.

In such circumstances, reducing development assistance and imposing indiscriminate sanctions are making things worse. The international community should not only increase humanitarian assistance to South Sudan, but also help accelerate its independent development, enhance its capacity and resilience to counter risks and challenges and promote peace through development, he said.

China has always been respecting South Sudan’s sovereignty and independence and supported its efforts for a development path that fits its own national conditions. Going forward, China will continue to work with the international community to provide support and assistance for the implementation of the Revitalized Agreement and help the people of South Sudan lead a peaceful life, said Dai.