File: UN Secretary General, António Guterres visiting a South Sudanese refugee camp in Uganda in 2017. PHOTO//Twitter @antonioguterres

The UN Secretary-General has expressed disapproval over calls by some members of the international community to impose more sanctions on South Sudan.

Antonio Guterres believes the world should support current peace efforts being pursued by IGAD rather than issuing threats.

“The international community should exhaust all possible avenues to restore peace in South Sudan before imposing any major sanctions,” he said.

Last month, the UN Security Council voted to renew for 45 days the sanctions it imposed in 2015 on those they say are blocking the peace process in South Sudan.

It also said it was considering further measures — including an arms embargo — if fighting continues amid ongoing mediation efforts.

The resolution states that if the parties failed to cease hostilities, the council would consider freezing the assets and banning travel for six officials.

Besides these, the United States and the European Union have also imposed their own sanctions on those they refer to as spoilers of peace.

They have been mounting pressure on the region from the Troika member countries, and campaigners like Enough project – to issue similar restrictions on South Sudan and its leaders.

But, the UN boss said such actions may undermine the peace process.

Speaking in Addis Ababa on Monday, Antonio Guterres said the objective must be to make peace prevail so that the horrific conflict stops.

Mr. Guterres was speaking in a joint press conference with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki, following the second Annual Conference of the UN and Africa on peace, security and development.

For his part, Moussa Faki described the situation in South Sudan as very critical, especially on the humanitarian front.

He called on the parties to continue to observe the ceasefire deal signed in Khartoum recently in order to allow aid agencies expand the humanitarian corridors.