On S. Sudan US Says Sanctions Don't Bar Taxes to Gadet's Militia
By Matthew Russell Lee
UNITED NATIONS, June 2, 2014 -- Four weeks after the United States announced
South Sudan sanctions
<
http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl2386.aspx> on
Marial Chanuong and Peter Gadet on May 6, on June 2 it clarified
<
http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/faqs/Sanctions/Pages/answer.aspx#36
8> that paying "taxes" to Gadet's militia wouldn't necessarily violate the
sanctions:
Q: Are humanitarian aid groups prohibited from making payments to or
otherwise transacting with non-designated individuals or entities in South
Sudan, including militias and armed groups under the command or control of a
designated individual?
A: An entity in South Sudan that is commanded or controlled by an individual
designated under Executive Order 13664 is not considered blocked by
operation of law. Payments, including "taxes" or "access payments," made to
non-designated individuals or entities under the command or control of an
individual designated under E.O. 13664 do not, in and of themselves,
constitute prohibited activity. U.S. persons should employ due diligence,
however, to ensure that an SDN is not, for example, profiting from such
transactions
One wonders about the timing of the Q&A - was this really a
<
http://www.treasury.gov/resource-center/faqs/Sanctions/Pages/answer.aspx#36
8> "frequently" asked question?
(Inner City Press also wonders whether US State Department envoy Russ
Feingold has inquired with Burundi into the jailing of human rights defender
Mbonimpa. Sanctions on that, or on arming the CNDD youth wing, in camps in
Eastern Congo which the UN mission MONUSCO won't even go and check
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/burundi4mbonimpa053014.html> ?)
On May 6 a US Senior Administration Official, when asked by Inner City
Press if thought had been or will be given to sanctioning the Kiir
government officials who took to the radio waves prior to the deadly attack
on the UN compound of UNMISS in Bor, resisted discussing anyone not yet on
the list.
But it would seem clear that there could be at least one further
intermediary step of sanctions before reaching Kiir and his former Vice
President.
Gadet was previously used by the government for disarmament. Inner City
Press asked UN envoy Hilde Johnson about it on March 15, 2012
<
http://www.innercitypress.com/jonglei2disarm031512.html> and Johnson
replied that to "us in the UN" who did the disarmament, including Gadet, was
"less than relevant. Now Gadet is under US sanctions.
Beyond the sanctions, Inner City Press asked the US Senior Administration
Officials about Secretary of State John Kerry's emphasis in Addis Ababa on
the need for a legitimate force to help make peace
<
http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2014/05/225455.htm> : in the US'
thinking, would this force be part of UNMISS?
A second Senior Administration Official replied that conversations are
ongoing, that the regional force would be related but, it seems, might be
separate.
Now it seems the force, including Ethiopia, Kenya and Rwanda, will be
related and technically a part of UNMISS - but Hilde Johnson is leaving as
envoy in July. Watch this site.
Footnote: When the US Treasury Department put online the specifics
<
http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl2386.aspx> , it
appeared that Peter Gadet, now subject to a travel ban,has no passport.
<
http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/jl2386.aspx>
US Transcript: <
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2014/05/225701.htm>
MODERATOR: Our next question is from.. Matthew Russell Lee of Inner City
Press. Go ahead.
QUESTION: Great. Thanks a lot, [Moderator]. I wanted to ask, there was a -
it was said that in Security Council consultations at the UN that senior
government officials were named in a radio broadcast prior to the attacks in
Bor on the UN compound in killing the civilians. I just wonder if you can
say are these people - is that the case? Do you know the names of people
that sort of called for that attack, and in which case, why aren't they on
this list?
And I also - this might for Senior Administration Official Number Two.
Secretary Kerry was talking about a legitimate force to help make peace. And
I just wanted to know, is the UN - is the U.S. thinking of that as part of
UNMISS mission or as the IGAD force? And if so, would it require a Security
Council approval? Thanks.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL ONE: On the first, I mean, we typically do
not comment on actors against whom we are - we have not yet - we have not
yet acted, a clunky way of saying we don't comment on those who are not part
of our designation. But anyone who is contributing to the violence, whether
that's by directing violence, whether that's by funding it, fueling it,
contributing arms, can be a subject of designation in the future. And I'll
leave it to my State Department colleague to answer the second question.
SENIOR ADMINISTRATION OFFICIAL TWO: Yeah. On the question about the regional
force and on UNMISS, we - it is something that conversations and discussions
are ongoing between countries of IGAD, with New York, with ourselves and
others on how best to create this additional force presence that we are
working very much with UNMISS and see this as part of the same effort. But
we do think it's very important that the regional forces are able to join
this effort in larger numbers and appreciate the efforts of, particularly,
the governments of Ethiopia and Kenya, who are leading the mediation and who
are seeking to work with UNMISS in this regard.
Received on Mon Jun 02 2014 - 17:36:34 EDT