June 2nd 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – The government of neighboring Uganda has helped South Sudan to breach a European Union arms embargo imposed on the world’s youngest nation following its independent from Sudan, a report by a Britain-based armament monitoring group said.
The EU in July 2011 amended an arms embargo imposed on Sudan in 1994 to cover the county following its independent from Sudan by Council Decision 2011/423/CFSP.
The supply of non lethal military equipment and related assistance to support Security Sector Reform in South Sudan was exempted from this arms embargo.
In a report released on Thursday, the Conflict Armament research (CAR) said Uganda has been helping South Sudan evading the arms embargo and continue to purchase weapons on behalf of South Sudan.
The CAR report revealed that heavy arms delivered to Uganda between 2014 and 2015 were then transferred to neighboring South Sudan.
“We have a paper trail from point of manufacture, through export to Uganda, through diversion to South Sudan, and to the recovery of the weapons on the battlefield,” head of CAR, James Bevan said.
The report added that South Sudan arranged for the Ugandan government to provide end-user assurances for purchases of weapons and ammunition from Bulgaria, Romania and Slovakia.
South Sudan descended into civil war in December 2013 following a disputed national convention for the ruling SPLM party. The fighting has been mostly fought between President Salva Kiir, an ethnic Dinka, and his deputy, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, an ethnic Nuer, along ethnic lines.
