New York (dpa) - The United States on Wednesday circulated a draft resolution at the UN Security Council that would impose an arms embargo and additional sanctions on South Sudan unless a ceasefire agreement is signed, the UN diplomats said.
The draft resolution, which would impose a deadline for reaching a ceasefire agreement, comes after the South Sudanese government rejected a peace deal on Monday to end hostilities between President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar.
The council was expected to vote on the resolution "as soon as possible", said Peter Wilson, Britain's deputy ambassador to the UN.
Gerard van Bohemen, New Zealand's ambassador to the UN, said it was "quite a technical resolution" and it might require some time for all Security Council members to agree on the text. He noted the resolution would impose an arms embargo and additional sanctions.
Currently, three army and three rebel commanders are under UN-imposed sanctions including asset freezes and travel bans.
US National Security Advisor Susan Rice said on Tuesday that the US was pursuing sanctions after Kiir "yet again squandered the opportunity to bring peace" to South Sudan.
Tens of thousands have been killed since the conflict started in mid-December 2013. Both government and rebel troops have been accused of widespread atrocities against civilians often on the basis of their ethnicity.
