NAIROBI, Kenya— The United Nations Security Council is poised to vote this week on whether to extend the arms embargo on South Sudan, initially imposed in 2018.
The decision comes amid escalating violence and reports of violations of the existing embargo.
Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have urged the Council to renew and enforce the embargo.
They cite recent incidents, such as the deployment of Ugandan troops and military equipment into South Sudan in March 2025, as clear breaches of the embargo’s terms.
Amnesty International reported that Ugandan forces entered South Sudan without notifying the UN Security Council Sanctions Committee, as required. The organization verified videos showing Ugandan troops and military vehicles, including tanks, crossing into South Sudan.
The renewed fighting has had devastating effects on civilians. An aerial attack on a Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Old Fangak earlier this month killed at least seven people, including a 9-month-old child, and injured 27 others.
The hospital, serving approximately 110,000 residents, was severely damaged.
The Security Council’s decision is complicated by differing international perspectives.
While the United States supports the extension of the embargo to prevent further violence, countries like Russia and China have previously called for its lifting, arguing that it hampers South Sudan’s ability to maintain security.
South Sudan’s government has also advocated for the removal of the embargo, asserting that it hinders the country’s efforts to build a unified national army and ensure stability ahead of the scheduled elections.
However, the continued violence and reports of human rights abuses have led many to question whether lifting the embargo would exacerbate the situation.
