New York, October 09 (Darfur24)
The United Nations Security Council has extended the sanctions regime on Sudan’s Darfur region for two months after failing to reach agreement on a US proposal to expand the arms embargo to cover the entire country, amid opposition from Russia and China.
The 15-member council unanimously adopted Resolution 2830 on Thursday, extending the sanctions regime until December 11, 2026, and the mandate of the Panel of Experts monitoring its implementation until January 11, 2027.
The council described the decision as a technical extension intended to allow further negotiations after the sanctions regime was renewed for one month in September.
The sanctions were first imposed in 2005 under Resolution 1591 and include an arms embargo on parties involved in the conflict in Darfur, travel bans and asset freezes targeting designated individuals and entities. The Panel of Experts assists the sanctions committee in monitoring the measures and investigating the financing of armed groups.
The United States had sought to expand the arms embargo to cover all of Sudan and all parties operating in the country, including measures addressing drones and dual-use technologies. However, the proposal failed to secure sufficient support in the council, prompting Washington to withdraw the draft and pursue a temporary extension.
US Ambassador Jeff Bartos argued that the existing sanctions regime was outdated and inadequate to address the realities of the current war, urging the council to extend the arms embargo nationwide.
Russia and China opposed broadening the restrictions. Russia’s deputy UN ambassador, Anna Evstigneeva, warned against expanding the sanctions, while Sudan’s UN ambassador, Al-Harith Mohamed, argued that a nationwide arms embargo would conflict with the UN Charter’s recognition of the right to self-defence.
The council’s decision comes as Sudan’s war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which began in April 2023, continues to cause widespread displacement, civilian casualties and severe food insecurity.
Darfur has experienced some of the conflict’s worst violence, including attacks on displacement camps and reported mass killings. The war has displaced millions of people and pushed parts of the country into famine.
The temporary extension leaves the existing sanctions in place while council members continue discussions over whether to expand the arms embargo beyond Darfur.