Council Implementing Decision (CFSP) 2026/1401 of 22 June 2026 implementing Decision (CFSP) 2015/740 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in South Sudan

Official Journal EN of the European Union L series 2026/1401 23.6.2026 COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION (CFSP) 2026/1401 of 22 June 2026 implementing Decision (CFSP) 2015/740 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in South Sudan THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 31(2) thereof, Having regard to Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/740 of 7 May 2015 concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in South Sudan and repealing Decision 2014/449/CFSP(1), and in particular Article 9(2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Whereas:

(1) On 7 May 2015, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2015/740.

(2) In accordance with Article 12(2) of Decision (CFSP) 2015/740, the Council has reviewed the list of persons subject to restrictive measures set out in Annex II to that Decision.

(3) The Council has concluded that restrictive measures against one person listed in Annex II to Decision (CFSP) 2015/740 should be maintained and that the entry for that person should be updated.

(4) Decision (CFSP) 2015/740 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 Annex II to Decision (CFSP) 2015/740 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Decision.

Article 2 This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Luxembourg, 22 June 2026.

For the Council The President M. PANAYIOTOU

(1) OJ L 117, 8.5.2015, p. 52, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/2015/740/oj.

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1401/oj 1/2ANNEX In Annex II to Decision (CFSP) 2015/740, entry number 1 is replaced by the following:

Name Identifying information Statement of Reasons Date of listing ‘1. Michael MAKUEI LUETH DOB: 1947 Michael Makuei Lueth held the position of Minister for Information and Broadcasting 3.2.2018’. in the Revitalised Transitional Government of National Unity in South Sudan from

POB: Bor, South Sudan; Bor, Sudan 2013 to November 2025. Since November 2025, he holds the position of Minister of

Gender: male Justice and Constitutional Affairs of South Sudan. He was also the public spokesman for the government delegation to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development peace talks from 2014 to 2015 and from 2016 to 2018.

Michael Makuei Lueth has obstructed, in particular through inflammatory public statements, the implementation of the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (ARCSS) of August 2015 (replaced in September 2018 by the “Revitalised ARCSS” (R-ARCSS)), the work of the ARCSS Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC, renamed “Reconstituted JMEC” under R-ARCSS), the establishment of the ARCSS Transitional Justice Institutions (also provided for in R-ARCSS), and the operations of the United Nations’ Regional Protection Force.

In addition, Michael Makuei Lueth is involved in the systematic curtailment of political and democratic space and in the repression of media, including through regular threats against journalists and support to media censorship, which hinders democratisation and sustainable peace in South Sudan.

Since the beginning of 2025, Michael Makuei Lueth has publicly dismissed calls for dialogue, using confrontational and inflammatory rhetoric in an increasingly tense environment. Michael Makuei Lueth has also defended the arrests against First Vice-President Riek Machar and his allies, hampering efforts to deescalate the situation.

Therefore, Michael Makuei Lueth has been obstructing the political process in South Sudan and is responsible for serious violations of human rights, in particular freedom of expression.

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ELI:

http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2026/1401/oj EN OJ L,

23.6.2026