ICGLR Kinshasa Summit Highlights
Heads of state gathered in Kinshasa on 9 November for the 9th International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, where South Sudan asked partners to help end the sanctions curbing its post-war recovery.
President Félix Tshisekedi, the new ICGLR chair, echoed calls for concrete follow-up, tasking the Bujumbura secretariat with rallying the broader international community.
Envoy Pitia Morgan’s Intensive Lobbying
South Sudan’s envoy Dr. Pitia Morgan said he held back-to-back meetings with delegations from Congo-Brazzaville, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, stressing that sanctions ‘hamper disarmament and investment’.
He reported that heads of state unanimously inserted a clause urging the UN Security Council to reconsider Resolution 2428, which since 2018 has restricted all weapon transfers to Juba.
Why the Region Cares About the Embargo
Regional leaders view stability in South Sudan as pivotal for trade corridors linking Mombasa to Matadi, analysts note, making the embargo a shared economic concern rather than a purely national one.
Timeline of Sanctions on South Sudan
The sanctions regime, first imposed in 2015 amid civil strife, targets individuals accused of stoking violence with asset freezes and travel bans; humanitarian exemptions remain, yet Juba says reconstruction needs far exceed current allowances.
Next Diplomatic Steps Toward New York
Diplomats expect the African Union Peace and Security Council to weigh the ICGLR request before the matter advances to New York, a process that could test regional cohesion over the next six months.
For now, Juba banks on quiet persuasion: ‘We are not seeking unlimited arms, only the right tools to secure peace agreements,’ Dr. Morgan told reporters after the summit.