Ambassador James Morgan Pitia, Presidential Envoy for the Great Lakes Region - (Photo: File/ COURTESY)

South Sudan has appealed to its regional neighbours to support lifting international sanctions and the arms embargo at the 9th Summit of the Heads of State of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) in Kinshasa, DR Congo.

South Sudan’s Presidential Envoy for the Great Lakes Region, Ambassador Dr. Pitia Morgan, said he successfully lobbied neighbouring states during the summit on November 9.

He added that the appeal was formally recognised and included in the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region final declaration.

“We have requested the Member States of the Great Lakes Region to help the Government of South Sudan on the issue of lifting of the sanctions, which also has been included into the Declaration, and the Secretariat of the Great Lakes Region has been directed by the new Chairperson of the Great Lakes Region, as well as other members, that the Secretariat in Bujumbura will go ahead and lobby the international community to lift the sanctions and arms embargo on South Sudan,” he said.

Morgan said the summit ended with a clear directive to turn the declaration into concrete action.

Since 2015, the UN Security Council has imposed a sanctions regime on South Sudan, including asset freezes and travel bans on individuals deemed responsible for fuelling the conflict.

In July 2018, the Council adopted Resolution 2428, which imposed a mandatory arms embargo on the country.

Under the embargo, it is prohibited to supply or transfer weapons, ammunition, military vehicles, and related equipment to South Sudan, unless approved under very limited conditions.

The sanctions regime, including the arms embargo, has been renewed repeatedly.