FILE PHOTO: The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Deng Dau Deng during the launch of Japanese-funded Water Treatment plant in Juba- Credit: Moses Awan/Eye Radio - March 16, 2023

The Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has denied reports that the government breached the sanctions and arm embargo imposed on the country since 2018.

Deng Dau Deng’s remarks follow a new report by UN Panel of Experts on South Sudan which indicates that Juba violated the existing arms embargo by procuring new armored personnel carriers.

According to the UN report seen by Eye Radio, Juba bought 10 armored personnel carriers, distinct in both design and color from those purchased in violation of the arms embargo in late 2021 or early 2022.

It says the vehicles were flagged off by President Salva Kiir for a regional peacekeeping mission to the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The UN Panel says a commercially available vehicle that matches those observed in South Sudan and is often marketed as the Titan-S, a highly modified and armoured version of a commercially available civilian vehicle, was identified.

However, the UN Panel has not been able to determine whether those were mounted before or after import into South Sudan.

In response Acting Foreign Minister Deng Dau said the country has not purchased any weapon or military hardware.

“We have not purchased any weapon as a country. We have observed what they called sanctions and arm embargo,” he said in an exclusive interview with Eye Radio.

“All that we have is all our equipment so, let the UN panel of experts tell us exactly who are those manufactures. No, we have not violated anything.”

Deng Dau said on Monday that South Sudan is observing the sanctions and arms embargo imposed by the UN Security Council in 2018.

South Sudan has been prohibited from buying firearms and military hardware in a bid to stifle the conflict that existed at the time.