The United Nations Security Council has failed to impose an arms embargo and targeted sanctions on South Sudan.

The US proposed draft resolution to impose sanctions on South Sudan gained support of seven members while eight abstained from voting in favor of the resolution.

The 15-members of the UN Security Council met in New York, Yesterday.

Earlier this week, the US Assistant Secretary and Department’s Spokesperson, John Kirby, said there was a continued threat to peace and security in South Sudan, which needed additional actions by the international community.

These include an arms embargo and targeted sanctions on individuals who are considered to be impeding the peace process.

However, Russia opposed the move, describing it as destructive, and arguing that sanctioning the leaders of South Sudan would not facilitate building a more inclusive society or forge a political process.

The U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Samantha Power, described the move by members who did not support the resolution as “taking a gamble.”

“The next time soldiers and armed groups firing civilians, the next time the government prevents peacekeepers from going and patrol – which is probably are already happening in the time that I have been speaking – the next time that a village goes hungry because the government withholds permission for aid delivery, each of us will need to find a way to justify our response, ” Amb Power told the media in on Friday.

However, the deputy permanent representative of South Sudan to the UN, Joseph Moom Majak, said imposing an arms embargo on his country would weaken the government and strengthen militia groups.

He said: “We have always argued that an arms embargo seeks to further weaken the government and strengthen the numerous militia and armed groups due to the number of historical reason which include the long civil war that left arms in the hands of civilians, across borders that make it difficult to control the illegal inflow of small arms and light weapons.”

Countries which abstained from voting in favor of imposing an arms embargo and targeted sanctions on South Sudan include: Russia, China, Japan, Angola, Malaysia, Venezuela, Egypt and Senegal.