Will an Arms Embargo and a ‘Protection Force’ Stop South Sudan’s Civil War?

The U.N. Security Council on Sept. 14 held consultations on South Sudan’s ongoing crisis. Violence escalated considerably in July 2016, when elements of the army attacked civilians and opposition forces in the capital Juba, despite the government having agreed earlier in the year to a peace deal and a government of national unity.

With more than 300 people killed and soldiers specifically targeting international aid workers, the United Nations is now increasing the pressure on Pres. Salva Kiir.

In a report leaked to Reuters and AFP, U.N. experts argue that the government, not the opposition, was solely responsible for July’s escalation. The report goes on to state that government forces were under direct control of Kiir and Chief of Staff Paul Malong during the engagement, including the storming of the Terrain housing complex, during which several international aid workers were raped and others were beaten.

The report also details efforts by the government to bolster its armory. In addition to small arms and substantial amounts of ammunition, the government also procured two L-39 fighter jets, one of which saw action in July, and held talks with a Lebanese business man to establish an ammunition factory in Juba.

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