More than 30 South Sudanese and international organizations have signed a petition that will be delivered to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) today, calling for an immediate, comprehensive arms embargo on South Sudan. The petition argues that an arms embargo is urgently needed to halt the supply of weapons to individuals and groups on all sides who have committed gross violations of human rights, war crimes and crimes against humanity and to protect civilians at grave risk.
Since the conflict erupted on 15 December, parties involved have used a range of conventional arms and military equipment to facilitate and commit acts such as extrajudicial killings, rape and other forms of sexual violence and the recruitment of child soldiers.
As well as imposing its own arms embargo, the organizations are calling on IGAD to request that the United Nations Security Council imposes a comprehensive international arms embargo on South Sudan.
The urgency of the arms embargo is underlined by events of the past month: a UN helicopter has been shot down, killings continue, including of humanitarian workers, and attempts to ensure both sides stop killing civilians have failed Click here for the text of the petition
See our Q&A on the need for an arms embargo. South Sudan: Awash with armshttps://www.amnesty.org/en/news/qa-south-sudan-nation-awash-arms-2014-08-21