More than 30 local and international human rights organisations including South Sudan Law Society, Human Rights Society, Amnesty International, Global Witness and Human Rights Watch in the country signed a petition calling for an immediate arms embargo on South Sudan to prevent further atrocities and abuses.
The petition due to be delivered to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development or IGAD mediators on Thursday, demands urgent arms ban to stop the supply of weapons to individuals and groups on both sides of the conflict and protection of civilians, The East African reported.
They said ‘as long as weapons are imported into South Sudan, they are likely to be used to commit further atrocities’.
The organisations also called on IGAD to request the United Nations Security Council to impose a comprehensive international arms embargo on South Sudan.
‘Such an embargo should last until effective mechanisms can ensure that weapons, munitions and other military equipment and technology sent to South Sudan will not be used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law,’ it added.
Amnesty International said since the conflict broke out both warring parties ‘have used a range of conventional arms and military equipment to facilitate and commit acts such as extrajudicial killings, rape and other forms of sexual violence and the recruitment of child soldiers’.
It said shooting down of a UN helicopter in Unity state and continued killings including of humanitarian workers, highlights the urgency of an immediate arms embargo.