UN Security Council extends Darfur arms embargo as Sudan-wide proposal stalls
The council unanimously renewed the existing restrictions for one month while Russia opposed a US plan to expand the embargo across Sudan.
The UN Security Council has unanimously extended an arms embargo on Sudan’s Darfur region for one month, maintaining existing restrictions while members negotiate a US proposal for a nationwide ban.
All 15 council members voted for the extension. The United States is seeking to expand the embargo across Sudan and broaden sanctions relating to conflict-related sexual violence, kidnapping for ransom and attacks on humanitarian personnel.
US Ambassador Jeff Bartos said the current sanctions regime was more than 20 years old and insufficient for the war now being fought. He also called for a stronger mandate for the panel of experts overseeing the sanctions.
Russia has opposed any expansion and said it would prevent the council from broadening restrictions. Russia’s deputy UN ambassador, Anna Evstigneeva, questioned why the proposal was being advanced while government forces held an advantage on the ground.
Sudan’s UN ambassador, Al-Harith Mohamed, said a nationwide arms embargo would conflict with the UN Charter’s guarantee of the right to self-defence, including the ability of armed forces to acquire weapons.
The existing embargo was imposed on Darfur after conflict began there in 2003. Sudan’s current war between government forces and the Rapid Support Forces began in April 2023. The source reports at least 59,000 deaths and the displacement of about 13 million people, while aid groups have warned that the toll could be higher and parts of the country have been pushed into famine.
