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UN chief urges immediate arms embargo on South Sudan

Xinhua, July 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Monday urged the UN Security Council to "impose an immediate arms embargo on South Sudan" in response to renewed fighting in the nation's capital Juba, which killed around 300 people since the latest conflict began a few days ago.

The secretary-general made the remarks while speaking to reporters here, saying that "The gravity of the situation demands a rapid response."

The proposed arms embargo requires approval by the Security Council.

Ban also urged the Security Council to enact additional targeted sanctions on leaders and commanders blocking implementation of the Agreement, signed in August 2015 to seek a return to peace and security in the world's youngest country.

Meanwhile, the secretary-general also asked the 15-nation UN body to fortify the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), saying that "We desperately need attack helicopters and other material to fulfil our mandate to protect civilians."

At least 271 people were killed in the renewed fighting which began on Thursday between South Sudan's rival army factions in the capital Juba.

Two Chinese UN peacekeepers were killed in the fighting in Juba on Sunday. The secretary-general and the Security Council condemned the killing of the Chinese peacekeepers.

"I also urge all countries contributing to UNMISS to stand their ground," Ban said. "Any withdrawals would send precisely the wrong signal, in South Sudan and across the world."

South Sudan has canceled this year's independence celebrations due to the economic crunch resulting from more than two years of civil conflict. It won independence on July 9, 2011 from Sudan after more than two decades of war that ended in a bitter divorce.

The country again plunged into conflict in December 2013 after President Salva Kiir accused his deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup, which the latter denied, leading to a cycle of retaliatory killings.

President Kiir and former rebel leader and now First Vice President Machar signed a peace deal in August that paved way for the formation of the transitional unity government to end more than two years of civil conflict. Enditem