MEDIA ADVISORY

5
th
September 2014

South Sudan: More than 30 organizations call for immediate arms embargo

More than 30 South Sudanese and international organizations have signed a petition that will
be delivered to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), 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


Organizations that have signed the petition include:
African Centre for J ustice and Peace Studies
Amnesty International
Assistance Missions for Africa
Association of Media Women in South Sudan
Charity Aid Foundation
Citizens for Peace and J ustice
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
J uba Civic Engagement Centre
J ustice Africa
Organization for Non-violence 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 Liaison Focus
Support Peace Initiative Development Organization-South Sudan
The ROOTS Project
Voice for Nyala
Waging Peace

Signed
El izabeth Ashamu Deng, Esq.
South Sudan Researcher
Amnesty International, Nairobi Regional Office