By THE AFRICA BAZAAR Staff Writer
July 2014
On Thursday, the European Union announced that it is joining the U.S. in imposing sanctions on South Sudanese officials who it deemed to be responsible for obstructing the peace process, breaching the ceasefire agreement and having committed egregious human rights violations.
The sanctions are part of a strategy from the international community, including the U.S., which imposed its sanctions last month against two Sudanese leaders, to get the parties to return to negotiations and abide by the peace agreement that was signed in May.
“South Sudan is in a race against time. Only continued and concerted international pressure on all parties will prevent a resumption of hostilities. Through the variety of its tools and instruments, the EU will remain engaged in South Sudan and will continue to support a transition towards peace and stability and offer support to ensure the swift implementation of any agreements and/or monitoring mechanisms,” the EU said in a statement.
The names of the individuals were not released on Thursday.
The U.S. announced on Thursday that it will provide $22 million in additional humanitarian assistance for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) in South Sudan and South Sudanese refugees in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.
