South Sudanese human rights activist Yoal Gatkuoth has condemned the African Union’s recent request for the UN Security Council to lift the arms embargo on South Sudan, arguing that key conditions for such a move have not been met.

Gatkuoth said the government continues to violate the spirit of the peace agreement, citing the ongoing house arrest of First Vice President Dr Riek Machar, attacks on civilians allegedly carried out with military helicopters, and repeated obstruction of humanitarian aid. “This is not the right time for the African Union to campaign for removing the arms embargo,” he told Oz Arab Media in an exclusive interview.

He added that the government’s refusal to allow African Union delegations—such as the Panel of the Wise and representatives of the Peace and Security Council—to meet Dr Machar shows a lack of commitment to dialogue and reconciliation. Calling for sanctions relief under these circumstances, he argued, would reward non-compliance and risk further deterioration of the security situation before the peace deal is fully implemented.

Gatkuoth, who serves as Executive Director of the African Peacemaker Alliance (PAPA), urged all parties to honour the peace accord and pressed the African Union to increase pressure on Uganda to withdraw its troops and halt any support to Juba. He alleged widespread human rights violations and an influx of weapons entering South Sudan via Uganda, noting that Amnesty International recently reported deployments of Ugandan soldiers and military equipment into the country.

In June, the UN Security Council renewed the arms embargo on South Sudan for another year—a decision welcomed by Amnesty International’s regional office for East and Southern Africa. Gatkuoth maintains that the embargo should remain in place until there is verifiable progress on humanitarian access, protection of civilians, and the full implementation of the peace agreement.