Meeting in Luxembourg on Monday 16 April, the Foreign Affairs Council again deplored the continuing violence in South Sudan and the horrific level of human suffering, despite the signature of an agreement on the cessation of hostilities at the end of 2017.
The foreign affairs ministers made a gloomy assessment of the situation on the ground. The conclusions they adopted mention "seven million people" – in other words two thirds of the population – in a situation of humanitarian distress. Four million people have been displaced, according to the UN.
The 'youngest state in the world', created in 2011, has been in the grip of a civil war between President Salva Kiir and his former vice-president Riek Machar for over four years, with interethnic conflicts in the background.
On 30 April 2016, a government of national unity was formed for 30 months, in other words until 30 October 2018. Considering this deadline to come, the Council deemed that 2018 would be a critical year for peace in South Sudan.
The 28 reiterated their support for the intergovernmental authority on development (IGAD) which is organising the negotiations between the parties in Addis Ababa (Ethiopia). The ministers stated that everyone should be able to participate in these discussions without fear and that the discussions should reflect the reality on the ground.
The Council also expressed its desire for the EU to continue to apply an arms embargo on South Sudan, and reiterated its calls for a resolution on this at the United Nations Security Council. Russia and China have blocked several draft resolutions introduced by the USA seeking an arms embargo.
In addition, the Council showed its determination to apply all appropriate measures to those obstructing the political process. On 3 February 2018, the EU adopted targeted sanctions against three people responsible for human rights violations (see EUROPE 11953). (Original version in French by Mathieu Solal)