Sudan: UN extends arms embargo in Darfur for one month

The UN Security Council extended the sanctions regime targeting Darfur, in western Sudan, for one month on Friday, September 11, in New York. Adopted unanimously, the decision maintains the arms embargo, as well as asset freezes and travel bans related to this measure, until October 9.

This short extension prevents the expiration of the measures that were set to lapse on September 12. It does not alter their geographical scope: the embargo remains limited to Darfur, despite the United States pushing for weeks to expand it to cover the entire Sudanese territory.

Washington advocated for a broader scope in light of the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as well as the flow of arms that continues to fuel the fighting. However, Russia rejected any national extension of the embargo, while China also expressed reservations about a tightening that it believes could worsen the humanitarian situation.

The Sudanese government also opposed a national embargo. Army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan stated on Thursday that the American proposal would not pass in the Security Council “in its American form.” Khartoum argues that an extension to the entire country would undermine its right to self-defense.

A one-month compromise after difficult negotiations

According to Security Council Report, the United States circulated an initial draft on August 13, followed by several revisions and two rounds of negotiations. The proposed text went beyond Darfur and was also intended to clarify that drones, their dual-use components, and certain associated technologies fell under the embargo’s scope.

The discussions pitted members favoring a tightening against delegations wishing to maintain the current regime. In addition to Russia and China, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia, Somalia, and Pakistan expressed reservations about the proposed geographical extension. Lacking consensus, members ultimately opted for a technical one-month extension to continue negotiations.

A sanctions regime focused on Darfur since 2005

The sanctions regime on Sudan stems from Resolution 1591, adopted in 2005 at the height of the Darfur conflict. It includes an arms embargo in the region, as well as targeted sanctions against designated individuals. Resolution 2791, adopted in September 2025, had extended the measures until September 12, 2026.

The current war, which erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese armed forces and the RSF, has displaced approximately 13 million people. The World Food Programme has simultaneously reduced the number of beneficiaries of its aid from five million to about 3.5 million due to funding constraints, while several areas of the country continue to face acute food insecurity.