21 Sept, New York, USA – President Salva Kiir called on the United Nations on Thursday to lift the arms embargo its imposed on South Sudan, saying the embargo was hobbling efforts to implement security arrangements stipulated in the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan.
The President was addressing a high-level meeting of the UN General Assembly in New York, his first appearance at such an event in nearly 10 years.
President Kiir reiterated his government’s commitment towards the realization and promotion of peace; in South Sudan, within the region, as well as globally.
But he stressed that in South Sudan, the inability of the government to procure weapons for the thousands of unified forces expected to graduate over the coming months, remained a real obstacle.
The President also appealed for humanitarian assistance for the hundreds of thousands of South Sudanese returnees and refugees fleeing the conflict in neighboring Sudan.
Despite numerous challenges brought about by a combination of factors, President Kiir pointed out that his government remained committed to the realization of the Sustainable Development Goals.
President Kiir held a series of bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, including with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, which focused on implementation of the R-ARCSS and the forthcoming elections.
He also had discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Albanian President Bajram Begaj, as well as a host of other leaders.
