NEW YORK – The UN Security Council unanimously renewed sanctions related to Darfur after members failed to agree on a broader U.S.-backed push to expand the arms embargo across all of Sudan, following sharp divisions over the scope and impact of the measures.
The Council adopted Resolution 2828 (2026) in a short-term technical rollover, preserving the existing sanctions regime while allowing more time for further discussions on whether the embargo should be revised.
The vote followed a debate in which the United States argued that the current situation in Sudan is unacceptable and that weapons flows across the country are directly threatening civilians and humanitarian workers.
Washington said external weapons flows must end, and has pushed for expanding the current Darfur-focused arms embargo to cover all of Sudan, including drones, weapons components, procurement networks and foreign military support.
Russia and China Resist Expansion
Russia opposed expanding the scope of sanctions and the arms embargo, citing what it described as negotiating red lines during Council discussions.
Sudan’s ambassador also rejected attempts to broaden the embargo, saying such measures would impede the state’s right to self-defense.
He argued that Council members are fully aware of the sources of arms reaching militias and questioned why sanctions should be revised without a thorough assessment of the successes and failures of the existing regime.
The Sudanese representative praised Russia, China and the A3 African members of the Council for what he described as standing in solidarity with Sudan and protecting its sovereign interests.
He also criticized what he described as the close relationship between the United States and the main source of external support for Sudanese rebel forces, and asked why Council concern over abuses in Sudan appeared focused heavily on sexual violence rather than the wider range of violations committed in the country.
China Backs Short-Term Rollover
China said Council members held sharply divergent views on how to handle Sudan sanctions.
Beijing supported a short-term rollover, saying it would give the Council more time to craft a more viable solution.
China also said merely extending sanctions without addressing wider concerns was problematic.
The United Kingdom said the vote preserved an important Council tool despite the short-term nature of the rollover, adding that the Council must ensure the Sudan sanctions regime remains fit for purpose.
U.S. Push for Nationwide Embargo
The U.S. position came amid growing pressure from Washington and other Western governments to expand the Darfur arms embargo nationwide.
Senior U.S. officials have argued that the current embargo, imposed under Security Council Resolution 1591 in 2005, no longer matches the scale of the war, which has expanded beyond Darfur into Kordofan, Blue Nile and other areas.
The United States has said a nationwide embargo is needed to target arms traffickers, drone suppliers, mercenary recruiters, procurement agents, financiers and other networks sustaining the war on both sides.
Sudanese officials have repeatedly rejected the proposal, saying it would affect the army’s ability to defend the state while failing to stop weapons reaching the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) through external support networks.
Background
Sudan’s war erupted in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the RSF after tensions over the integration of the paramilitary force into the national army.
The conflict has since spread across much of the country, causing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, mass displacement, widespread hunger and the collapse of basic services.
A recent report by the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan said foreign weapons, drones, logistics, training and personnel are helping sustain the war.
The mission said it had reasonable grounds to believe that a transnational network supplied the RSF with weapons, military equipment, logistics, training and foreign personnel, including Colombian contractors involved in advanced weapons and drone systems.
It also said its findings on external support to the Sudanese army remain preliminary, while noting that foreign-supplied drones had expanded SAF’s long-range strike capabilities.
The report called for enforcement of the Darfur arms embargo and urged the Security Council to extend the embargo across all of Sudan.
Sanctions Debate Continues
Thursday’s vote keeps the sanctions framework in place, but leaves unresolved the central dispute over whether the embargo should remain focused on Darfur or be expanded nationwide.
The debate also exposed wider divisions among Council members over sovereignty, the state’s right to self-defense, external interference and accountability for abuses committed by all parties.
The Council is expected to return to the issue as members assess the effectiveness of the current sanctions regime and consider whether additional measures are needed to address arms flows, drone warfare and foreign support networks in Sudan.
