|
South Sudan: More than 30 organizations call for immediate arms embargo
|
MEDIA ADVISORY Embargoed: 00.01 BST - 4 September, 2014
More than 30 South Sudanese and international organizations have signed a petition that will be delivered to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) today, calling for an immediate, comprehensive arms embargo on South Sudan. The petition argues that an arms embargo is urgently needed to halt the supply of weapons to individuals and groups on all sides who have committed gross violations of human rights, war crimes and crimes against humanity and to protect civilians at grave risk. Since the conflict erupted on 15 December, parties involved have used a range of conventional arms and military equipment to facilitate and commit acts such as extrajudicial killings, rape and other forms of sexual violence and the recruitment of child soldiers. As well as imposing its own arms embargo, the organizations are calling on IGAD to request that the United Nations Security Council imposes a comprehensive international arms embargo on South Sudan. The urgency of the arms embargo is underlined by events of the past month: a UN helicopter has been shot down, killings continue, including of humanitarian workers, and attempts to ensure both sides stop killing civilians have failed For more information or to arrange an interview please contact: Stefan Simanowitz on +44 (0)207 413 5729 mailto:[email protected]@amnesty.org or +44 (0)20 7413 5566 email: mailto:[email protected]@amnesty.org See our QandA on the need for an arms embargo. South Sudan: Awash with arms http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/qa-south-sudan-nation-awash-arms-2014-08-21http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/qa-south-sudan-nation-awash-arms-2014-08-21 Organizations that have signed the petition include: African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies Amnesty International Assistance Missions for Africa Association of Media Women in South Sudan Charity Aid Foundation Citizens for Peace and Justice Clip-Poverty Community Empowerment for Progress Organization East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Project End Impunity Organization Equatoria Rehabilitation and Development Association Global Witness Human Rights Development Organization-South Sudan Human Rights Watch Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust International Centre for Policy and Conflict Juba Civic Engagement Centre Justice Africa Organization for Nonviolence and Development PAX Rally for Peace and Democracy Save the Children South Sudan Action Network on Small Arms South Sudan Human Rights Society for Advocacy South Sudan Law Society Soweto Community Based Organization Seed for Democracy for South Sudan Standard Action Liason Focus Support Peace Initiative Development Organization-South Sudan The ROOTS Project Voice for Nyala Voice for Change – South Sudan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|