Kampala, July 14, 2018 (SSNA) — Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said he wants the United Nations to drop the recently imposed arms embargo on South Sudan.
The request comes one day after the UN Security Council imposed an arms embargo on the young nation.
Museveni told the United Kingdom minister for armed forces Col. Mark Lancaster that an arms embargo will not help in the peace process.
“Mr Museveni told his guests that imposing sanctions on South Sudan will not help in finding a solution to that country’s challenges adding that observation of ceasefire by the warring groups, security reform and working to have elections, among others, will help the country move towards peace,” Museveni told Col. Lancaster, according to a statement released by Uganda State House.
A senior rebel official who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media told the South Sudan News Agency (SSNA) in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa that Museveni decision to ask UN to drop an arms embargo imposed on South Sudan shows that he is a part of the problem, the official accuses Museveni of being against peace in South Sudan.
“He is very interested in seeing the embargo lifted by the UN. We are not surprised by this. We know Museveni is working for war to continue,” the official said.
On Friday, the 15-member council voted 9-to-0, imposing an arms embargo on the war-ravaged nation.
Under the sanction, all countries are barred from providing weapons to South Sudan until May 2019.