United Nations, May 5 (ZXS) -- The United Nations Security Council voted to adopt Resolution 30 on May 30, extending the arms embargo and targeted sanctions against South Sudan for one year until May 2683, 2024. Geng Shuang, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations, made an explanatory statement after the vote to explain China's position.
On the same day, the Security Council adopted the resolution on sanctions related to South Sudan, authored by the United States, with 10 votes in favor and 5 abstentions. Russia, China, Mozambique, Ghana and Gabon abstained.
Geng Shuang said that for a long time, Security Council sanctions have had a serious negative impact on South Sudan's implementation of the revitalization agreement, improved security capabilities, and carried out economic, trade and humanitarian operations, and there has been great controversy. It is for this reason that China has always been cautious about the Security Council's maintenance of sanctions against South Sudan and has repeatedly abstained from voting on sanctions extension resolutions.
Geng Shuang said that the lifting of sanctions is related to South Sudan's long-term peace and stability and people's livelihood and well-being, and is also the common aspiration of countries in the region. The Intergovernmental Organization for Development (IGAD) in East Africa (IGAD) met in November last year and the Peace and Security Council of the African Union issued communiqués in February this year, calling for the lifting of sanctions such as the unjustified arms embargo on South Sudan. Regrettably, ignoring the many positive developments made by South Sudan on the benchmarks for sanctions and the just voices of the countries concerned and the international community, instead of promoting the lifting of sanctions, the author has added embargoed items and listing criteria to the preliminary draft resolution, and has exerted unacceptable pressure on the South Sudanese authorities.
Geng Shuang said that during the consultations, African members of the Security Council put forward a proposal to formulate a list of arms exemptions. This could have been a compromise to bridge the divide. However, the author stubbornly adhered to its national position and put the draft to the vote without sufficient discussion of the proposals of African countries. Such an approach is totally unconstructive and undermines the unity of the Security Council.
Geng Shuang said that China has always believed that the Security Council should handle the issue of sanctions in a prudent and responsible manner, carefully grasp the strength and scope of sanctions, and always strive to create favorable conditions for political settlement. Organizing elections, managing finances, and developing resources should have been decided by the government and people of South Sudan. However, the draft resolution just put on a vote included the so-called "obstruction of free and fair elections" in the listing criteria, and also interfered in South Sudan on finance, anti-corruption, resource management and other issues. The international community should objectively view the difficulties and challenges facing South Sudan in improving national governance and give necessary patience and encouragement. No country should use the Security Council's sanctions measures as a political tool to exert diplomatic pressure and coercion and undermine the sovereignty and security of other countries.
Geng Shuang said that China has repeatedly stressed that the author country should maintain objectivity and impartiality, listen to the reasonable concerns and demands of the country concerned, and safeguard the unity and cooperation of the Security Council to the greatest extent. Recently, some author countries have ignored the views of the countries concerned and the members of the Council, frequently put their national positions above collective opinions, and engaged in double standards and political manipulation. (End)