South Sudan's government has yet to take concrete steps to allow a UN-mandated regional force to deploy in Juba, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council. In a letter to the council late Monday, Ban said the Juba government still has reservations about the composition of the proposed 4,000-strong force and the areas of deployment.
While the government has indicated it is ready to accept the new UN force, "these commitments have not yet translated into concrete actions on the ground," Ban wrote. The council voted in August to deploy the regional protection force (RPF), which will be under the command of the UN mission known as UNMISS, which has 16,000 peacekeepers.
The new force will help provide security in the capital and at the airport, and step up protection of UN facilities after Juba was rocked by heavy fighting in July. The council has threatened to impose an arms embargo on South Sudan if the government blocks the deployment, but that would require a vote on a new resolution. Ban did not specify in his report whether the council should move to impose the ban on arms deliveries.
US Deputy Ambassador David Pressman said he expected a "robust discussion" at the council on the next steps when the council meets on Monday to discuss South Sudan. "If we find that there is not enough full cooperation, then yes, it will definitely be time to look at an arms embargo," said British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft.
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