US urges Uhuru, Museveni to pressure South Sudan’s Kiir into peace deal

The United States has called for an international arms embargo to be imposed on South Sudan, urging President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni to put pressure on President Salva Kiir.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley to the United Nations says President Salva Kiir’s government is increasingly proving to be an unfit partner, in efforts to restore peace.

“Since independence, we have invested well over 11 billion in South Sudan and the government of  President Kiir. Time has come to acknowledge the hard realities, that the leaders of South Sudan are not just failing their people, they are betraying them,” said Haley.

“We must change course and it is time that the security council initiate an arms embargo,” added Haley.

South Sudan descended into war in December 2013 when Kiir accused his former deputy Riek Machar of plotting a coup.

The violence has killed tens of thousands of people and driven nearly four million South Sudanese nationals from their homes, including one million who have crossed borders.