Share

UN imposes first sanctions on 6 South Sudan commanders

New York - The UN Security Council on Wednesday imposed sanctions on six commanders from South Sudan, the first to be blacklisted in a country where 18 months of war have brought horrific violence.

The six generals - three from the government forces and three from the rebels - were punished with a global travel ban and an assets freeze for their role in the worsening conflict.

Britain, France and the United States had put forward the six names to a newly formed sanctions committee that was set up in March by the Security Council after a string of failed successive ceasefires.

From the government side, the three are: Major General Marial Chanuong Yol Mangok, commander of President Salva Kiir's presidential guard; Lieutenant General Gabriel Jok Riak, whose forces are fighting in Unity State; and Major General Santino Deng Wol, who led an offensive through Unity State in May in which children, women and old men were killed.

Self-serving ambitions

From the rebels, the sanctions target Major General Simon Gatwech Dual, chief of the general staff, Major General James Koang Chuol, who led attacks in Upper Nile State, and General Peter Gadet, the rebels' deputy chief of staff for operations.

"As the members of the Security Council demonstrated today, those who commit atrocities and undermine peace will face consequences," US Ambassador Samantha Power said in a statement.

Power called on both sides to "put aside their self-serving ambitions, end the fighting, and engage in negotiations to establish a transitional government."

She warned that additional sanctions could be imposed.

South Sudan has been torn by fighting since December 2013 between forces loyal to Kiir and rebels allied with his former deputy, Riek Machar, and the violence has imploded along ethnic lines.

Russia follows AU stance

The world's newest nation is in the throes of a dire humanitarian crisis, with more than 2.5 million people facing severe food shortages and two million driven from their homes.

A recent report by the UN mission in South Sudan described horrific violence in the latest fighting in Unity state, where witnesses said the army gang-raped girls and torched them alive in huts.

At least seven ceasefires have been signed and broken during successive rounds of talks.

Among the more prominent military leaders is Mangok, the commander of the presidential guard, who oversaw the execution of ethnic Nuer civilians when fighting broke out in December 2013, according to UN documents seen by AFP.

The civilians were buried in mass graves in and around Juba.

Gatwech Dual, the rebels' chief of general staff, is cited for targeting women, children and civilians, ordering fighters under his command to "not make any distinctions between different Dinka tribes and should kill all of them."

The UN committee had set a 19:00 GMT deadline for objections to be raised to the sanctions request amid some expectation that Russia and China could refuse to endorse the move.

But the deadline passed without objections, which means under UN rules that the request was approved.

Russia said it decided to back sanctions because the African Union had come out in support of the move.

"Still we consider the sanctions counterproductive as they do not contribute to the peace process," said Alexey Zaytsev, spokesman for the Russian mission.

The International Crisis Group had come out against the sanctions proposal, arguing that the six generals were not responsible for the failure to reach an agreement and warning that their support for any future deal could be jeopardised.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 435 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 623 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.93
-0.0%
Rand - Pound
23.90
+0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.40
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.32
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
+1.3%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE