South Sudan recalls ambassador over arms ban

South Sudan has recalled its ambassador to US as the dispute between Juba and Washington escalates over an arms embargo. As previously reported in Legalbrief Today, Washington also urged other nations and the UN to adopt a global arms embargo. While it is a largely symbolic move because the US does not export arms to South Sudan, it does prevent any US company or citizen from offering defence services to the country. A report on the allAfrica site notes that President Salva Kiir's press secretary Ateny Wek Ateny confirmed that Juba had recalled Garang Akuong for consultations ‘especially in response to Washington's arms restrictions to South Sudan’. The South Sudan Foreign Affairs Ministry also confirmed the matter, saying the nation was looking for ways to address the situation without hurting Washington-Juba relations. Human Rights Watch has welcomed the US arms ban, saying it would send a strong message to South Sudan leaders that abuses and broken promises would not be tolerated.