March 27, 2018 (WASHINGTON) - President Donald Trump extended for a year the country’s national emergency with respect to South Sudan on Tuesday, pointing to the unusual and extraordinary threat to the U.S. national security and foreign policy constituted by the situation in and in relation to South Sudan.
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President Donald Trump (Photo Getty Images/Tom Pennington)
The continuation of national emergency which was first declared by former U.S. President, Barrack Obama on 3 April 2014, gives Washington the possibility to hand the threats of additional sanctions over the South Sudanese government.
The White House said the four-year South Sudan conflict threatens peace, security, or stability of the young country and the surrounding region, including widespread violence and atrocities, human rights abuses, recruitment and use of child soldiers, attacks on peacekeepers and humanitarian aid workers, and obstruction of humanitarian operations.
"The situation in and in relation to South Sudan continues to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States," said the statement.
Based on this situation, President Trump decided to continue for one year the national emergency declared with respect to South Sudan.
With this national emergency, President Trump can impose further sanctions on South Sudan and the members of its government. Also, that means Washington which, the penholder on South Sudan at the Security Council, will continue to seek international sanctions on South Sudanese warring parties.
During a visit to Juba in October 2017, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley stated that the administration in Washington lost trust in the South Sudanese government, calling on President Salva Kiir to take action to regain that trust.
In February the U.S. imposed an arms embargo against South Sudan and called on the United Nations Security Council to take similar sanctions on South Sudan last earlier this month.
In a meeting held in Addis Ababa Monday, a South Sudanese minister called on the IGAD Council of Ministers to support Juba against what he described as "American activities" against his government.