US launches bid to impose arms embargo on South Sudan
What you need to know:
US ambassador Samantha Power said a draft resolution would be presented to the council to ban weapon sales to the country and impose sanctions, setting the stage for a clash with Russia, which opposes the move.
Of the council’s permanent, veto-wielding members, Britain and France backed the proposal, Russia reaffirmed its opposition and China expressed reservations.
NEW YORK CITY, Friday
The United States has launched a bid at the Security Council to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan following warnings of a potential genocide.
US ambassador Samantha Power said a draft resolution would be presented to the council to ban weapon sales to the country and impose sanctions, setting the stage for a clash with Russia, which opposes the move.
“South Sudan is a nation at the precipice,” Power told the council.
“In the coming days, the US will put forward a proposal to impose an arms embargo on the county and sanctions on individuals who have been spoilers to achieve lasting peace,” she said.
Of the council’s permanent, veto-wielding members, Britain and France backed the proposal, Russia reaffirmed its opposition and China expressed reservations.
The move followed a report by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who warned that South Sudan faced a risk of mass killings and that 14,000 peacekeepers deployed would not be able to stop the bloodbath.