The United States on Friday openly accused President Salva Kiir’s administration of lacking the political will to deliver peace in South Sudan, moments after the United Nations Security Council voted to renew sanctions on the country for another year.
The sharp criticism came as the council extended an arms embargo, travel bans and asset freezes under Resolution 2821, citing continued delays in implementing the country’s fragile peace agreement and worsening political tensions.
Speaking before the Security Council in New York, U.S. Deputy Representative for Special Political Affairs Ambassador Jennifer Locetta said South Sudan’s transitional leaders had failed to make meaningful progress on commitments made under the 2018 revitalised peace agreement.
“Let’s be clear. This lack of progress is due to a lack of political will by President Kiir, as well as other South Sudanese leaders,” Locetta told the council during the session.
Her remarks marked one of Washington’s strongest public rebukes of South Sudan’s leadership in recent months and reflected growing frustration within the international community over repeated delays in the transitional process.
The United States accused the government of failing to advance critical reforms, including the unification of armed forces, constitution-making and preparations for long-delayed national elections.
Washington also criticised what it described as increasing political repression, warning that arrests and intimidation of political actors were undermining trust in the peace process.
Locetta pointed to the detention and prosecution of a signatory to the peace agreement, saying it was difficult to speak of genuine dialogue while political figures continued to face pressure from state authorities.
She urged South Sudan’s leaders to return to direct political engagement, release detainees and publicly commit themselves to ending political violence and military escalations.
The U.S. diplomat further called on the transitional government to use national resources to support struggling citizens rather than allowing continued misuse of public revenue.
In unusually blunt remarks, she accused South Sudan’s ruling elite of perpetuating the same marginalisation many leaders fought against before independence from Sudan in 2011.
“Through bad governance and misuse of revenue, that marginalization continues, imposed by South Sudan’s own leaders,” she said.
The Security Council vote exposed divisions among member states over the effectiveness of sanctions on South Sudan.
