Presidents Kiir, and Felix agree to combat insecurity along South Sudan – DRC border

President Salva Kiir and his Congolese counterpart Felix Tshisekedi met Sunday to discuss how to reduce insecurity along the borders with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

“We have talked mostly about trade and security at our borders. We know that there are problems within our common borders but we will work hard to solve those problems,” Congolese President Tshisekedi said, stressing the need to boost infrastructure development between the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. 

Construction of the road from South Sudan to the DRC which goes through the North East of the Democratic Republic of Congo and then down to Kisangani and from Kisangani to the capital Kinshasa through the mighty Congo River could link South Sudan to the Atlantic Ocean. 

This would in turn boost trade, and food security and minimize recent fuel and commodity price hikes. President Kiir committed to settling disputes with the DRC over the two countries; shared border. 

President Felix Tshisekedi vowed to spearhead efforts to get the UN-imposed arms embargo on South Sudan lifted.   

President Kiir has been pressing for the removal of the United Nations Security Council’s arms embargo on South Sudan. Kiir described the arms embargo as a barrier to the full implementation of peace in the Great Lakes region. 

“While this was done to make the parties sign the agreement, it has now become an obstacle to the same agreement implementation because we cannot graduate the unified forces.” President Kiir asserted.

Kiir believes regional solidarity from other African countries would help South Sudan’s leaders take the next step in the peace implementation process.

President Tshisekedi said the arms embargo should be lifted on grounds that South Sudan is trying to build a regional force designed to bring peace and development to the Great Lakes region. 

“We are trying to build a regional cause and it would not be possible for South Sudan to participate, that’s why we call for this embargo to be lifted,” Tshisekedi said.

“We all agreed that peace and security are very necessary for our countries in order to bring progress and development.  

The United Nations Security Council imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan on July 13, 2018, requiring all UN member states to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale, or transfer of arms and related material, including ammunition, military vehicles, and spare parts, to the country’s territory. 

In January 2020, the United States imposed sanctions on South Sudanese First Vice President Taban Deng Gai. The Treasury Department said Gai arranged and directed the alleged killings of opposition politician Aggrey Idri Ezibon and human rights lawyer Dong Samuel Luak in a move to solidify his position in the government and intimidate members of the opposition.

In a statement, then U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Gai, on behalf of Kiir, acted to “divide and sow distrust, extend the conflict in South Sudan, and impede the reconciliation and peace process” A month earlier, the United States slapped sanctions on two South Sudanese cabinet ministers, days after blacklisting five lower-level officials.