Members of the Unted States Congress are pushing the Obama administration to support an arms embargo on South Sudan.
“Rather than using the threat of an arms embargo as a tactic to obtain compliance, and failing to follow through, we can and should urgently advocate for one in the U.N. Security Council as a tool to enhance security and stability on the ground,” Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.), wrote in an editorial on Monday.
In the past, the US has been opposed to an arms embargo on South Sudan, saying that the threat of am embargo can coerce the country’s leaders.
Last week, Rep. Tom Rooney (R-Fl.) introduced a bill to place an embargo on South Sudan, which he said has bi-partisan support of the South Sudan Caucus.
In August, the UN Security Council said that if South Sudan did not accept a 4,000 strong regional peacekeeping force, it would place an arms embargo on the country.
“We will support an arms embargo if we are not able to get the deployment of the force in a manner that actually enhances the welfare of the South Sudanese people,” U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power said during a recent Security Council visit to the country.
The security sector accounts for 44 percent of South Sudan’s national budget.