Russian Envoy: UN Needs Comprehensive Approach Towards South Sudan Conflict

The UN Security Council should adopt a comprehensive approach to stabilize the situation in South Sudan, where armed clashes between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar renewed in recent days, Russia's envoy to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said Tuesday.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) — Fierce clashes between forces loyal to Kiir and those supporting Machar occurred in the South Sudanese capital of Juba on July 7, on the eve of Independence Day. The violence continued later in the week, claiming lives of hundreds. On Monday, the leaders of the rival parties ordered their forces to disengage and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon requested the UN Security Council to impose an immediate arms embargo on South Sudan in response to renewed clashes.

"We need a comprehensive assessment of the situation. I believe that the arms embargo is not a magic wand or the recipe to prevent the worst," Churkin told reporters after the session of the UN Security Council.

In addition to arms embargo on South Sudan, Ban requested to fortify the 12,000 peacekeeping mission.

"The situation is certainly very complicated, so we need to think about what can be done together with the other members of the UN Security Council… I think we need to talk again to the regional players, which could influence the two leaders," Churkin said.

An armed ethnic conflict erupted in South Sudan in December 2013, a year and a half after the nation gained independence from Sudan, when Kiir accused Machar of preparing a military coup. In August 2015, Kiir and Machar signed a peace deal that envisaged the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity.

According to the IOM data, the crisis forced some 720,000 to flee to neighboring countries and displaced over 1.6 million internally.