RUSSIA and Angola blocked a US proposal for sanctions against two South Sudanese military leaders at the UN security council on Tuesday.

The plan, which was leaked by unnamed diplomats on Monday, was to add General Paul Malong and general turned rebel leader Johnson Olony to a list of South Sudanese leaders subject to a travel ban and asset-freeze.

The measures would have come into force without a vote if no objections had been raised by 7pm GMT on Tuesday.