UN Security Council members mull South Sudan sanctions as attacks continue

United Nation Security Council members are considering sanctions on South Sudan’s warring parties, envoys said on Wednesday, after UN peacekeeping chief Herve Ladsous demanded “serious consequences” be imposed to force an end to the violence.

Ladsous and UN Assistant Secretary-General for human rights Ivan Simonovic briefed the 15-member council on a recent escalation in attacks on civilians, including an ethnic massacre in the oil town of Bentiu and the killing of dozens of people who had sought refuge inside a UN peacekeeping base in Bor.

“Unless there are serious consequences for the parties to cease the violence and engage in meaningful talks ... the toll on innocent civilians will continue to rise,” Ladsous told reporters after the closed-door council meeting.

“The United Nations is doing everything it can to protect the civilians that are fleeing the violence, the war, but let us never forget that the primary responsibility for protection of civilians is with the government,” he said.

Nigerian UN Ambassador Joy Ogwu, president of the council for April, said there was a lot of support among council members for pursuing sanctions on South Sudan.

“I think we are ready to go down the road of sanctions,” French UN Ambassador Gerard Araud told reporters.

US Ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, posted on Twitter after the briefing: “For the sake of the people of South Sudan, international community must sanction political spoilers and those who target civilians.”

The United States and the European Union have already threatened South Sudan with sanctions. President Barack Obama earlier this month authorised possible targeted sanctions against those committing human rights abuses in South Sudan or undermining democracy and obstructing the peace process.