The United Nations sanctions monitors have suggested that President Salva Kiir and the leader of the SPLM in Opposition, Dr. Riek Machar should be sanctioned over atrocities committed in in the conflict.

The monitors say the atrocities have been directed by or undertaken with the knowledge of senior individuals in the highest level of government and within the opposition.

In an annual report, the monitors say President Salva Kiir and Dr Riek Machar maintain command responsibility for their respective forces; and are therefore directly to blame for killing civilians.

“The Panel has therefore determined, on the basis of multiple, independent sources with first-hand knowledge, that there is clear and convincing evidence, presented below, that most of the acts of violence committed during the war by the Government or by government-affiliated forces, including the targeting of civilians and violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, have been directed by or undertaken with the knowledge of senior individuals at the highest levels of the Government,” reads, an extract from the UN report.

The panel of UN monitors says in the confidential report that the Security Council should also impose an arms embargo on South Sudan.

“To prevent the further destabilization of the security situation in South Sudan and in particular the continuing large -scale human rights violations that the Panel has determined are directly related to the supply of arms and ammunition to non-State actors and groups by all sides, as well as to prevent the further transfer or use of heavy equipment, the Security Council impose an embargo on the supply, sale or transfer to South Sudan, from or through the territories or by the nationals of all Member States, or using their flag vessels or aircraft, of arms and related materiel of all types,” the report stated stated.

This comes after a deadlock in the implementation of the peace agreement due to disputes between the government and the opposition over the creation of more states and the amendment of the constitution.

Both the government and the SPLM in Opposition are yet to comment on the report.

The Minister of Information, Michael Makuei Lueth, said he was going for an extra-ordinary cabinet meeting while the opposition were not available to comment.

In a separate statement, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has expressed concerns about the failure of the government and the SPLM in Opposition to form the government of national unity on Friday.

He calls on both sides to overcome their differences and implement the peace agreement.