The President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir has been criticized for the current famine that has hit his country.
The United States said that Mr. Kiir must be blamed for what it described as the country’s “man-made” famine and conflict which have made life unbearable for many South Sudanese.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told a United Nations Security Council briefing on South Sudan on Tuesday that “We must see a sign that progress is possible. We must see that ceasefire implemented.”
Mr. Kiir has been urged by the U.S. to ensure that a pledged unilateral truce takes place by ordering his troops to return to their barracks.
Haley further said that “The famine in South Sudan is man-made. It is the result of ongoing conflict in that country. It is the result of an apparent campaign against the civilian population. It is the result of killing humanitarian workers.”
Thousands of South Sudanese are fleeing their country due to hunger and the ongoing conflict. The United Nations has said that the current crisis in that country could become a possible genocide situation.
Civil war erupted in South Sudan in 2013 after forces loyal to Mr. Kiir and his former vice president, Riek Machar clashed when the latter was sacked.
The U.N. South Sudan envoy David Shearer told the Security Council, “The political process in South Sudan is not dead, however it requires significant resuscitation.”
The U.S. Ambassador claimed that Mr. Kiir and his government are benefiting from the division within the Security Council as she demands an imposition of sanctions and an arms embargo on South Sudan.
“You’re allowing President Kiir to continue to do what he’s doing,” she said. “If you truly care for the people of South Sudan then we must tell the South Sudanese government that we are not going to put up with this anymore.”
Source: Africafeeds.com
