As the world’s youngest nation faces renewed violence, the United Nations Security Council is preparing to vote on whether to extend an arms embargo on South Sudan — a decision Amnesty International says could determine the fate of countless civilians.
The embargo, first imposed in 2018, is set to expire on May 31, and with tensions escalating in the country, human rights advocates are pressing the Council for swift action. According to Amnesty International, allowing the embargo to lapse could deepen the crisis in South Sudan, where ongoing conflict has already displaced 2.3 million people and left around 60,000 children malnourished.
“We urge the [UN] Security Council to renew the embargo, enforce it and protect civilian lives,” said Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty’s Regional Director for East and Southern Africa. He acknowledged that the embargo was “not a panacea,” but emphasized that “the human rights situation would almost certainly be worse without it.”
The warning comes amid what Amnesty calls open violations of the embargo, pointing specifically to “the deployment of armed Ugandan soldiers and military equipment to South Sudan since March 11, 2025.”
In March, Amnesty’s Crisis Evidence Lab verified two videos that appear to document these violations. “The first shows dozens of UPDF soldiers arriving at Juba International Airport on March 11. The second shows armored personnel carriers and military trucks,” the organization stated, referring to the Uganda People’s Defence Forces.
The arms embargo is part of a broader sanctions regime imposed on South Sudan since 2015, which includes asset freezes and travel bans. On May 30, 2024, the Council extended those measures for another year, but the upcoming vote will determine whether those restrictions continue into 2025.
Civilians At Risk, Amnesty Warns
The UN has said it is open to “modification, suspension, or progressive lifting” of the embargo, but critics warn that South Sudan’s porous borders make it easy for weapons to continue flowing into the country, despite the sanctions.
A statement from the International Crisis Group echoed those concerns, noting that while the embargo may have “made it harder for actors to deploy heavy weapons,” the smaller arms that fuel much of the conflict are still accessible.
South Sudan’s First Vice President, Riek Machar, has also raised the alarm. In a letter to the UN earlier this year, he accused Uganda of “grave violation” of the arms embargo. The claim adds to mounting pressure on the Security Council to take decisive steps.
Amid these developments, questions are also being raised about the effectiveness of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), whose mandate was recently extended for another 12 months. While the mission has maintained a visible presence in the country, critics argue that it has done little to stem the violence.
“The UN is here in Juba or in other parts of South Sudan. They are there, they are roaming around the streets, but they cannot take action. don’t believe their mandate is clear. You cannot say you are peacekeeping, what peace are you keeping? People are fighting every day, and you’re not doing anything about it.”
Abraham Maliet Mamer, Secretary General of the South Sudan Investment Authority
Despite such criticism, the UN insists it is making every effort to stabilize the country. But with the expiration of the arms embargo looming, pressure is mounting on the international community to act before the situation spirals further out of control.
Whether the vote results in an extension or not, the outcome will send a strong signal about the global community’s commitment to ending one of Africa’s longest-running conflicts.
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