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Sanctions Could Be Imposed On South Sudan To End Civil War

Sanctions Could Be Imposed On South Sudan To End Civil War

According to The Guardian, US President Barack Obama and other East African leaders are holding discussion this week that could see South Sudan face sanctions and other penalties if the country’s warring parties do not come to a lasting peace-deal soon.

The World’s newest nation has experienced nothing but strife since its independence for its northern neighbor in 2011.

About two-and-half years ago, a split between President Salva Kiir and his then deputy Riek Machar sunk the country into a civil war with the Dinka tribe on the government side and the Nuer on the rebel side. There have been heavy casualties on both side of the tribes, which are the largest in the country, with thousands displaced into Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia.

On Sunday, as Obama left his father’s homeland Kenya for Ethiopia, a senior official in his government told reporters aboard Air Force One destined for Addis Ababa that there were no “high expectations” that the fighting sides in South Sudan will accept a planned cease-fire agreement by a August 17 deadline.

“I don’t think anybody should have high expectations that this is going to yield a breakthrough,” The Guardian quoted the unnamed official saying. “The parties have shown themselves to be utterly indifferent to their country and their people, and that is a hard thing to rectify.”

Obama’s “Plan B” for South Sudan includes an arms embargo and sanctions on individuals’ assets and travel bans. These sanctions could be implemented with other countries in the region, the European Union or the United Nations.

“But the thing is we have to find tools that affect the two parties equally, and the arms embargo is more one-sided than two-sided,” the official added.

Fighting in the country has killed thousands and displaced more than 2.2 million people, leaving over 40 percent of the population relying on aid for food and shelter.