Observers welcome sanctions on Makuei, two army generals South Sudanese observers have welcomed the Trump administration’s decision slapping sanctions on three close associates of South Sudan’s president Salva Kiir for allegedly undermining stability and peace.
The Treasury Department on Wednesday imposed sanctions on Gen. Malek Reuben Riak Rengu, the army’s deputy chief of staff in charge of military procurement; and Michael Makuei Lueth, South Sudan’s information minister. In addition, sanctions were placed on Paul Malong Awan, the former army chief. Three companies owned or controlled by Riak also were sanctioned. James Okuk, a political lecturer at the University of Juba, told Radio Tamazuj on Friday that South Sudan's political leaders have been warned several times by the international community to end the ongoing war but these calls fell on deaf ears in the country. “So if the ongoing war is not brought to an end the sanctions will not stop, so more people will be sanctioned because the United States has enough evidence against those who are undermining peace,” said Okuk. He further said the recent decision confirms that the United States has a strong bond with the people of South Sudan through its role in the formation of South Sudan as an independent state.“The imposed sanctions demonstrate that the United States cannot leave South Sudan and it is a clear message that South Sudan was born through the United States. The United States does not want South Sudan to be destroyed by certain officials,” he said. The Centre for Peace and Justice (CPJ), a rights group in South Sudan, welcomed the US sanctions on individuals but called for more efforts to achieve peace in South Sudan."I urge the US and the United Nations Security Council to consider imposing an arm embargo and financial transaction sanctions on South Sudan,” said CPJ’s coordinator Tito Anthony. Several South Sudanese refugees at Bidi-Bidi camp in Ugandan expressed their happiness about the US decision imposing targeted sanctions on information minister, Michael Makuei, former army chief , Paul Malong and Malek Reuben, , the army’s deputy chief of staff in charge of military procurement. The refugees told Radio Tamazuj on Friday that the move could help bring about peace in the country, while urging the Trump administration to exert more efforts to make peace South Sudan. But South Sudan government has reacted angrily after the US decision imposing fresh sanctions on senior members of government.Ateny Wek Ateny, South Sudan’s presidential spokesman, said that the decision which brought sanctions against Michael Makuei, Paul Malong and Malek Reuben shows the US administration’s ignorance about the situation of South Sudan. -- To post to this group, send email to southsudankob@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to southsudankob+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/d/forum/southsudankob View this message at https://groups.google.com/d/msg/southsudankob/topic-id/message-id For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to southsudankob+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To post to this group, send email to SouthSudanKob@googlegroups.com. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/SouthSudanKob/CAJb14orh_%3D1hK_dcrKM8SVg4qBbhbm-jYCw%2BdgqsmVUcbxPJwg%40mail.gmail.com. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
