By Kei Emmanuel Duku
National Assembly on Monday summoned the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ramadan Mohamed Abdallah Goc, over UN sanctions.
Minister is to explain the steps being taken to address the renewed sanctions imposed on South Sudan by the United Nations Security Council.
Sunday Philip, the Whip of Other Political Party (OPP) in the National Transitional Legislative Assembly, stated that with the sanctions extended until 2025, the National Minister of Foreign Affairs should be summoned to explain the measures the government is taking to have the sanctions lifted.
“Apart from the sanctions, the UN Security Council also renewed the mandate of the Panel of Experts on the South Sudan Sanctions Committee until July 2025. So, the Minister of Foreign Affairs should come to explain the issue of these sanctions and the way forward,” said Philip.
The vote on the sanctions resolution saw nine countries, including Ecuador, France, Japan, Malta, the Republic of Korea, Slovenia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States, voting in favor of the extension.
Last week, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 2731, extending the sanctions on South Sudan’s top leaders for another year. These sanctions include a travel ban, asset freezes, and an arms embargo.
Meanwhile, six countries, including Algeria, China, Guyana, Mozambique, the Russian Federation, and Sierra Leone, abstained from the voting session, calling for the lifting of the sanctions.