UNSC SHOULD IMPOSE TARGETED SANCTIONS ON SOUTH SUDANESE LEADERS…NOW!

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) knows by now that South Sudanese warring parties are not going to sign any peace agreement soon unless severe sanctions are imposed on prominent figures on both sides.

On January 23, the two parties signed Cessation of Hostilities agreement. This was violated within hours of its signing and soon after the parties started to trade accusations as to who violated it. Bizarrely, it’s always the other side that violates the agreement.

Then on May 9, the two leaders signed a Ceasefire Agreement and expressed commitment to end this war, calling it ‘senseless’. This agreement too was violated. And then in June the two leaders committed themselves to form a transitional government within 60 days. The deadline, which was August 10, passed without any hope of peace agreement in sight.

This is a clear indication that the warring parties neither care about the people of South Sudan nor do they have any respect for all the Nations and organizations mediating in Addis Ababa. Dr. Riek Machar and President Kiir are clearly taking IGAD and the whole world for fools!

As long as these leaders continue to break their promises as the people of South Sudan suffer without any consequences, they’ll never sign any peace agreement.

Besides, the United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon, sent to South Sudan United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay and Special Advisor on Genocide Prevention, Mr. Adama Dieng, in May of this year.

After coming back from South Sudan, Mr. Dieng presented before the United Nations Security Council the gruesomeness of the situation, the suffering of the people and how the world can’t afford to wait. Ms. Pillay expressed how little compassion and care both leaders showed towards the suffering of South Sudanese citizens.

And on August 12, 2014, the UNSC sent Mr. Mark Grant, the current president of the 15-member UNSC. Mr. Grant’s entourage included US ambassador to the UN, Ms. Samantha Power and Rwandan Ambassador to the UN, Mr. Eugene-Richard Gasana.

After talking to the two leaders, the delegation said that they were ‘disappointed’ by the two leaders as they showed little interest in signing the peace agreement and ending the suffering of South Sudanese people. It was very clear to the UN delegation that these two leaders are not interested in peace and their own people! It’s all about power and top jobs!

(Watch my video commentary on www.youtube.com/kuirthiytv)

So the two leaders are not to be trusted as they’ve broken their promises time and again; they’ve shown to the world and the UNSC that they don’t care about the people; and they have no interest in ending the war.

It just makes me wonder what other proofs UNSC needs to impose real, affecting sanctions on the two parties.

Should half the population of South Sudan die for UNSC to impose sanctions on the leaders? Is there something of a trust left between South Sudanese leaders and UNSC?

Unless UNSC imposes severe, effective sanctions now, the people of South Sudan will continue to suffer and die. The May sanctions USA imposed on Peter Gatdet Yak and Marial Chanuoong were a mere joke. They were a clear mockery of South Sudanese people. In addition, EU Sanctions, in July, on Peter Gatdet and Santino Deng were the same: pure mockery. I believe they are pure mockery of the suffering South Sudanese civilians because they can never, ever change the dynamic of the war.

I hope the UNSC imposes effective sanctions unlike USA and EU. This is the time for UNSC to show practical care for the people of South Sudan. SANCTIONS NOW! SANCTIONS THAT ACTUALLY WORK!

Kuir ë Garang is a South Sudanese author and poet. His latest book is “South Sudan Ideologically.” For contact, visit www.kuirthiy.info