When Massad Boulos brought a proposal in August to extend Sudan’s Darfur arms embargo across the country, the US senior adviser for Arab and African affairs argued that wider restrictions could reach arms traffickers, financiers, mercenary recruiters and drone suppliers. He worked with US Ambassador Mike Waltz to increase pressure on Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
After weeks of talks, Russia and China held their ground. Anna Evstigneeva, Russia’s deputy UN ambassador, said: “We will not allow even a hint of broadening the restrictions by the council on Sudan.” Sun Lei, China’s deputy UN ambassador, said an expanded embargo would worsen the humanitarian situation and could fragment Sudan.
Sudan’s UN ambassador, Al-Harith Mohamed, said a total embargo would conflict with the UN Charter’s guarantee of the right to self-defence. The Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Somalia and Pakistan also opposed the US proposal.
The 15-member Security Council instead unanimously adopted Resolution 2830 on Thursday, extending the existing Darfur embargo until 11 December. The short renewal gives members further time to negotiate the US proposal, which has yet to win approval.
Russia and China hold veto power on the council, and both have opposed expanding the restrictions beyond Darfur. Russia supports the Sudanese government in its fight against paramilitary forces, a position that has shaped its approach in the council.
Jeffrey Bartos, the US deputy ambassador to the UN, said another long-term extension of the Darfur measures “is not an option”. He urged the council to “expand the arms embargo across the entire territory of Sudan,” adding: “The current sanctions regime is over 20 years outdated, and is insufficient to address the realities of the war today.”
The measures date from 2003, when the Security Council imposed an embargo after violence erupted in Darfur. Up to 300,000 people died in that conflict and 2.7 million fled their homes. The council’s restrictions cover armed actors in Darfur and include a travel ban and asset freeze for designated individuals and entities. A five-member panel of experts monitors the measures, and its mandate has been extended until 11 January 2027.
The embargo has nevertheless failed to stop weapons reaching Darfur. It allows UN experts to investigate arms transfers and identify those responsible for breaches.
Sudan’s current war began in April 2023 and has entered its fourth year. It has killed at least 59,000 people and displaced some 13 million. A September opinion article in Foreign Policy said the proposed wider measure would target arms traffickers, financiers, mercenary recruiters and drone suppliers.
The humanitarian strain continues alongside the diplomatic deadlock. An aerial attack on World Food Program trucks in South Kordofan led to the loss of over 50 metric tons of aid. Carl Skau, the World Food Program’s acting director, said funding shortages had cut the number of people assisted from about 5 million at the beginning of the year to 3.5 million.
Comments (0)