With 9 Members Voting in Favour, 6 Abstaining, Security Council Extends Sanctions Regime on South Sudan for One Year, Adopting Resolution 2781 (2025)

The Security Council today extended for one year the sanctions regime it has imposed on South Sudan, which includes asset freezes, travel bans and an arms embargo — even as some speakers expressed concern that the African position on this issue is being ignored and sanctions are getting misused as a tool for coercion. 

Resolution 2781 (2025) (to be issued as document S/RES/2781 (2025)) was adopted by a recorded vote of 9 votes in favour (Denmark, Greece, Guyana, France, Panama, Republic of Korea, Slovenia, United Kingdom, United States) to none against, with 6 abstentions (Algeria, China, Russian Federation, Pakistan, Somalia and Sierra Leone).

By its terms, the Council underscored that arms embargo violations, particularly amid increasing political violence in South Sudan, risk fuelling conflict, and strongly urged all Member States to take urgent action to identify and prevent such violations emanating from their territory. It also reiterated its call upon all Member States, in particular States neighbouring South Sudan, to inspect, in accordance with national legislation and international law, all cargo to South Sudan, in their territory, if the State concerned has reasonable grounds to believe the cargo contains prohibited items. 

Also renewing previously imposed travel and financial until 31 May 2026, the Council reiterated its readiness to review arms embargo measures, through inter alia modification, suspension, or progressive lifting of these measures, informed by progress achieved on the key benchmarks as set out in resolution 2577 (2021)

Also by the text, the 15-member organ decided to extend until 1 July 2026 the mandate of the Panel of Experts as set out in paragraph 19 of resolution 2428 (2018) and decided that the Panel should provide to the Council regular updates as well as an interim report by 1 December 2025 and a final report by 1 May 2026. 

Calls on South Sudanese Leaders to De-escalate Political Tensions, Advance Peace Agreement 

Speaking in explanation of vote after the vote, the United States’ delegate, penholder of the text, said that escalating violence in recent months has brought South Sudan to the brink of civil war.  That country’s leaders must de-escalate political tension and negotiate in good faith, he said, urging the Transitional Government to deliver all steps necessary to advance the peace agreement. “Too many innocent lives have been lost to alarming gun violence”, he said, adding that the arms embargo was necessary to stem the unfettered flow of weapons.  He also highlighted the crucial role of the Panel of Experts’ independent reporting. 

Along similar lines, the United Kingdom’s delegate said the sanctions regime is an important tool in support of South Sudan’s stability.  The gradual lifting of the arms embargo should follow positive progress on the benchmarks established by the Council, he stressed.

South Sudan’s Speaker Deeply Disappointed over Renewal of Arms Embargo

However, South Sudan’s representative, who spoke at the end of the meeting, expressed “deep disappointment” at the renewal of the arms embargo.  She regretted that the text did not include her country’s proposal aimed at reinforcing the role of its armed forces.  “We are not asking for a blank check; we are asking for a fair opportunity and a balanced approach,” she said.

The sanctions are not only a matter of national security and sovereignty “but also a matter of economic opportunity and dignity”, she pointed out.  Citing a message she received from a young South Sudanese entrepreneur, she highlighted the challenges he faced in getting investors.  “None of the commercial banks in the country are giving loans to South Sudanese” while lending to foreign businesses in the country, he wrote to her, because “they don't want to risk dealing with us”.

This echoes the concerns of millions of young South Sudanese, she said, adding:  “Sanctions are often presented as a tool of accountability but also risk becoming a barrier to opportunities”.  The international community is closing doors on the young people of her country instead of opening them, she said, stressing the importance of national ownership. 

Speakers Echo South Sudanese Delegation’s Appeal for Ownership over Country’s Peace, Development Trajectory 

Several speakers echoed the appeal for South Sudan’s ownership over its peace and development trajectory and expressed concern about the unrealistic expectations in the text.  The representative of Algeria, speaking also for Sierra Leone and Somalia — all three countries abstained on this vote — regretted that the final text didn’t incorporate a critical proposal made by their delegations on lifting the arms embargo on the Necessary Unified Forces, or the NUF. 

Highlighting the challenges posed by the arms embargo in the context of the Transitional Government’s implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, and the realization of security sector reform, he recalled that the African Union Summit has called for the lifting of the arms embargo on South Sudan.  He also expressed concern about “the broader implications of sanctions regimes on the African continent”, and reiterated the need for a thorough and timely review of the current measures, including the arms embargo against South Sudan.

The Council must listen to the legitimate concerns of that country and the African Union, China’s delegate stressed. South Sudan was founded 14 years ago and has had an arms embargo for seven years, he pointed out, adding that the resolution interprets the current situation in the country in a lopsided manner.  Further, it represents the penholder’s national position and undermines the Council’s unity, he said, also underscoring that elections are the internal affairs of the country.

The representative of the Russian Federation also disagreed with the text’s direct link between the arms embargo and South Sudan’s internal political processes, adding that the easing of Council sanctions on South Sudan is long overdue.  The arms embargo restricts the implementation of the provisions of the Revitalized Peace Agreement, especially on security issues, she pointed out.  “In other words, they are putting a brake on a successful political process” and complicating the deployment and proper equipping of the national armed forces, she added.

Pakistan’s delegate stressed that sanctions should be used judiciously and must not be used as a punitive measure to advance political agendas.  The arms embargo has hampered South Sudan’s ability to protect its people and borders.  The armed groups have acquired advanced weapons, he noted, adding that the African Union, the African members of the Council and the country of concern have opposed the embargo.