This archive report was first published on 18 December 2019.
On December 17, 2019, the US Treasury imposed sanctions on Kuol Manyang Juuk, South Sudan's Minister of Defense, and Martin Elia Lomuro, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, citing their alleged obstruction of reconciliation efforts and perpetuation of conflict for personal gain.
However, the South Sudanese government disputes these claims, arguing that the sanctions will only exacerbate the suffering of its people. In a statement, Deng Dau Deng, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, said, "The sanctions are not helpful particularly at this time, because the government of South Sudan from 2017 signed the cessation of hostilities. We continue to implement all the provisions of the peace agreement and there is no instability from December 2017 to date and this shows that the defense minister has done absolutely what says in the agreement."
The sanctions, which include a freeze on US assets and a prohibition on transactions with the officials, have been met with criticism from the South Sudanese government. Deng added, "Sanctioning the minister of defence and that of cabinet affairs in our view is not helping in the implementation of the agreement, but it's actually creating more suffering for the people of South Sudan because sanctions have never been helpful in any other place."
South Sudan has been embroiled in a civil war since December 2013, with a peace deal signed in 2015 collapsing after renewed violence in July 2016. A revitalized peace agreement was signed in September 2018, but the country remains plagued by conflict and instability.
