South Sudan President Salva Kiir asked leaders from the East African Community (EAC) not to enforce U.S.-backed international sanctions on his country.
Following repeated violation of cease fire between Salva Kiir and his rival Riek Machar, State Department on Friday 2 February imposed a U.S. arms embargo on South Sudan and asked the United Nations and other countries to do the same.
U.S. also asked Kenya and Uganda leaders to step up pressure on the leaders of the world’s youngest nation to end conflict.
In a speech delivered at the 19th Ordinary East African Community Heads of State Summit in Kampala, on February. 23, Kiir requested the leaders of the East African common market area to not allow that a member state “be bullied by those who would want to cow them down so that they take whatever resources they take from the country”.
While there is no U.S. weapons trade to South Sudan, arms continue to flow into the country through neighboring states from countries in Eastern Europe, according to one U.S. source.
The oil-rich South Sudan has been wrecked by civil war since 2013, when troops loyal to Kiir clashed with troops loyal to then-Vice President Riek Machar.
