The President of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Felix Tshisekedi has vowed spearhead the African Union’s (AU) efforts for lifting of sanctions and arms embargo imposed on South Sudan.

Speaking at a joint press conference with his South Sudanese counterpart, Salva Kiir in the country’s capital, Juba on Sunday, Tshisekedi said policies of the AU do not allow and encourage sanctions on its member states.

The DRC leader pledged to engage the international community for lifting South Sudan sanctions, saying it delays implementation of the peace deal.

On July 13, 2018, the United Nations Security Council imposed an arms embargo on South Sudan’s territory, legally obliging all UN member states to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale, or transfer of arms and related material – including ammunition, military vehicles as well as spare parts.

Tshisekedi said they also discussed approaches to strengthen the security between the two neighbouring countries, especially at the borders and further agreed to prioritize peace and security to encourage development.

The two leaders also deliberated on the construction of a road connecting South Sudan and the DRC to enhance food security in the two countries.

President Kiir and his DRC counterpart reportedly discussed a wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues concerning the two neighbouring nations.

South Sudan’s leader congratulated Tshisekedi and the Congolese people for their country’s recent admission to the East African Community (EAC).

In March this year, the DRC officially joined the EAC as its seventh member state, massively expanding the territory of the regional bloc.

“The President expressed that Congo’s joining of the East African Community provides an avenue for enhancing mutual cooperation in areas of trade, agriculture, infrastructure development and movement of people across the borders of the two countries,” the presidency said in a statement issued on its Facebook page.

Also discussed, it added, was the issue of security whereby both leaders pledged to jointly work together to restore stability along the border areas.

The inclusion of DR Congo’s consumer market of close to 90 million people is expected expand the EAC market to almost 300 million and open the bloc to the Congolese economy which is rich in several natural resources.