US sanctions South Sudan’s vice president over rights abuse

United States government on Wednesday slammed financial sanctions on one of South Sudan’s Vice Presidents, Taban Deng Gai, over his alleged involvement in rights abuses.

A statement issued by the US Treasury Department said Deng arranged the disappearance and death of the human rights lawyer, Samuel Dong Luak, and an opposition politician, Aggrey Idry.

It said the vice president did this in order to strengthen his position within the opposition party, the SPLM-IO.

The sanction imposed on Deng who has acted to divide and sow distrust within the SPLM-IO, is seen in some quarters as Washington’s latest move to pressure the country’s politicians to form a unity government.

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However, South Sudan’s presidential spokesman Ateny Wek Ateny, told Reuters News Agency after the sanctions were announced that Washington’s move would worsen the situation in the country.

“Deng is very helpful in the implementation of the peace and … he should be encouraged,” the spokesman said, adding that there was no evidence that any government officials were involved in the killings cited by the US Treasury Department.

In 2018, President Salva Kiir and the rebel leader, Riek Machar signed a peace deal aimed at ending a civil war that displaced about four million people.

However, there is growing international concern that the deal could still unravel as a unity government has still not been formed.

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