The death toll in South Sudan's five-year civil war stands at almost 400,000; violence broke out in the country along ethnic lines after President Kiir of the Dinka tribe accused his then-deputy Machar, a Nuer, of planning to stage a coup.
Washington has slapped sanctions on three Israelis — among them retired Major General israel Ziv — over their role in the South Sudan conflict. Specifically, they were accused of covertly selling arms and ammo to the warring sides, among other things.
“[The United States Department of] Treasury is targeting individuals who have provided soldiers, armoured vehicles, and weapons used to fuel the conflict in South Sudan. We are intent on holding accountable those who profit off the misery and suffering of the South Sudanese people and facilitate violence against civilians,” said Sigal Mandelker, Under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
US Vows to Present Evidence of Alleged Iran's Arms Sales to Proxy Groups
According to the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, israel Ziv, the former head of the Israeli Defence Forces' (IDF) Operations Directorate, supplied weapons and ammunition to both the South Sudanese government and the opposition. He purportedly used an agricultural company to sell $150 million worth of weapons to the government, including rifles, grenade launchers, and shoulder-fired rockets, under the guise…
