South Sudan has attributed its failure to carry out nationwide civilian disarmament to the arms embargo imposed by the United Nations and Western nations.
Government Spokesperson and Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth stated during a press conference on Friday that the embargo has severely hindered the deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces (NUF) and the disarming of civilians, who he claimed are now better armed than the government.
“We trained and graduated the NUF, and they have been deployed—but with what? Without arms, only sticks. Can they handle security issues with sticks? Unless the arms embargo is lifted, we cannot fully equip these forces,” Makuei said.
He explained that the lack of weapons has left the NUF vulnerable, particularly in hostile areas. “What are they going to do without guns? Even those who are armed now are under threat,” he added.
Makuei emphasized that deploying unarmed forces would put both the NUF and civilians at risk, as the forces would be unable to protect themselves or others without proper equipment.
He also noted that opposition forces integrated into the NUF were similarly left without arms due to the embargo.
The minister acknowledged the government’s broader policy of civilian disarmament but said it cannot be fully implemented under current conditions. “We are only disarming communities involved in clashes or misusing firearms. We cannot disarm civilians while we are unable to arm the unified forces,” he stressed.
The arms embargo, first imposed in 2018, was intended to curb violence amid South Sudan’s civil war. However, the government argues it has hampered efforts to stabilise the country and implement key provisions of the 2018 peace agreement.
Critics, however, have accused the government of failing to address corruption and ensure transparency in security sector reforms, which they say are prerequisites for lifting the embargo.
The UN Security Council is set to review the embargo later this year, with South Sudan likely to push for its removal to advance its disarmament and peacebuilding efforts.