The Deputy Head of Mission of the British Embassy in Juba says his government would like to see regional leaders take steps to stop flow of arms into South Sudan.
The UK strongly welcome the recent announcement of sanctions made by the United States on three South Sudanese officials, Ambassador Mike Rielly, expressed to CRN on Monday in Juba.
He said the US sanctions is in line with the European Union’ arms embargo.
Ambassador Rielly stressed that the UK would like to see countries neighboring South Sudan to also consider similar sanctions.
‘Ideally, we would look at the region taking action with an arms embargo and sanction on individuals who disrupt the peace process’, Reilly said
The UK diplomat encouraged South Sudanese in the Diaspora, to put more pressure on the region to stop allowing the flow of the arms to the country so as to build a better future for South Sudan.
‘I would encourage South Sudanese people to call on the region to support South Sudan, and to put pressure on the leadership of South Sudan in Addis, here in Juba and in the region and with arms groups as well; who are active in South Sudan, that they all put down their weapons so we can start to build a future for this country’, he added
Rielly hopes that the ongoing revitalization forum, beginning on Monday in Addis Ababa, should bear fruit and bring peace to the vulnerable South Sudanese.
He said UK and other partners would like to see peace return to the country so they can continue implementing many developmental projects in South Sudan.
‘Every part of this country has to feel he has a stake in this country, otherwise the option is to go to violence again; and we want to avoid that. That is clearly the trick that has to be addressed in Addis Ababa’, Reilly said
Women issues remain one of the projects expected to be implemented by UK in South Sudan in 2018, Reilly further disclosed.