South Sudan acquires weapons as economy collapses, U.N. says

South Sudanese government forces have acquired two jet fighters and truckloads of small arms ammunition and were seeking to manufacture bullets,according to a report by U.N sanctions monitors.

According to the report which was seen by Reuters, the opposition troops have not received any significant arms shipments. Two truckloads of ammunition were transferred to the capital Juba from Uganda in June, while late last year South Sudanese army chief Paul Malong asked a Lebanese company to begin developing a small ‘arms ammunition manufacturing facility in Juba, the monitors said.

This report now strengthens the case for an arms embargo, a move recommended by the monitors to the Security Council in January.

The monitors also warned that South Sudan’s economy has effectively collapsed due to government policies that include buying weapons instead of funding social services.

The UN security council had said it would discuss an arms embargo if the South Sudanese government refused to cooperate with the deployment of 4,000 more UN peace keeping troops, in the wake of deadly violence that broke out in Juba in July.