US and Denmark Push UN Security Council to Expand Nationwide Arms Embargo in Sudan

The United States called on the United Nations Security Council on Monday to broaden the existing arms embargo covering Sudan’s Darfur region to encompass the entire country, warning that the escalating conflict could spill across borders. Denmark, which currently holds the Council’s rotating presidency, backed the initiative.

The Darfur embargo, in force for more than two decades, is slated to lapse on 12 September unless a fresh agreement is reached.

The U.S. representative at the session, Massad Boulos, urged the Council to curb external backing for the conflict, cautioning that such support risks drawing neighboring states further into Sudan’s fighting.

“That is why the United States has introduced a robust resolution that addresses four key points,” Boulos said, beginning with “extending the arms embargo across all of Sudan.”

The proposed measure would also bring drones under the embargo and expand the team of experts monitoring compliance.

His stance mirrors that of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who in June described Sudan’s war as a “proxy conflict.”

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen warned that the fighting could attract criminal networks from abroad, emphasizing that the war has never remained confined within Sudan’s borders, destabilizing neighboring countries and the broader region.

Denmark holds the Council presidency until the end of August.

Russian opposition

However, the U.S. initiative faces a significant hurdle. Russia, a backer of General al‑Burhan’s armed forces and a holder of a UN veto, has cautioned against any measures that could affect its interests.

The conflict, now in its fourth year, has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions, with increasingly advanced weaponry—including armed drones—deployed on the battlefield.

The Sudanese army controls the central and eastern parts of the country, while the western Darfur region and portions of the south are held by the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Sudan’s UN ambassador pressed for a technical extension of the current embargo while cautioning that an expanded sanctions regime could undermine the army’s ability to protect civilians.

“Sudan suffers most from the illicit flow of arms. Nonetheless, broadening this sanctions framework could weaken civilian protection,” said Al‑Harith Idriss al‑Harith Mohamed.

Prior to the U.S. appeal, Rosemary Di Carlo, the UN’s Under‑Secretary‑General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, warned that the conflict in Sudan was becoming increasingly complex.

Advanced weapons

“The sophisticated arms being used continue to indicate that external actors are supplying both sides,” Di Carlo noted. “In recent weeks, fighting has been marked by intensive drone strikes and localized ground engagements in areas less affected by seasonal rains.”

Darfur, a western region comparable in size to France, has endured some of the worst atrocities, with displacement camps overrun and repeated ethnic massacres claiming thousands of lives.

Peacebuilding activist Eva Khair told the Security Council that, despite denials, external actors are fuelling the crisis.

“The involvement of various actors providing weapons, mercenaries, other military aid, and diplomatic cover to the RSF, as well as military, logistical, and financial assistance to the Sudanese Armed Forces, underscores the increasingly globalized nature of Sudan’s war.

“The existing arms embargo on Darfur must be enforced, and I urge the Council to extend it across the entire country.”

(with AFP)

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