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More than 30 organisations call for an immediate arms embargo on South Sudan

5 September 2014

33 organisations, including HART, have signed a petition that was delivered to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) yesterday (4th September 2014), 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 15th 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 organisations 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.

Download the letter and list of signatories below.

For more information or to arrange an interview please contact: Stefan Simanowitz on +44 (0)207 413 5729, stefan.simanowitz@amnesty.org  or +44 20 7413 5566, press@amnesty.org

For more information on HART’s work in South Sudan, please contact alice.robinson@hart-uk.org

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