The United States has asked the UN Security Council to extend the arms embargo on Sudan’s Darfur region to cover the entire country, including drones.
The proposal was put forward at the Security Council on Monday, Avisen Danmark reports, citing Ritzau and AFP. The existing embargo on Darfur, in force for more than two decades, expires on September 12 unless a new agreement is reached.
Expanding the measure to all of Sudan would require a vote in the Security Council. According to Avisen Danmark, US envoy Massad Boulos told the Council that the conflict risks spreading regionally and pulling neighboring countries deeper into the war.
France 24 reports that Washington has proposed a resolution described by Boulos as a strong text, with a nationwide embargo as its first element. As reported by The National, the draft would explicitly bring drones, unmanned aerial vehicles and related technologies under the embargo.
Radio Tamazuj reports that the draft contains four main measures. Alongside the nationwide embargo and the clarification on drones, it would add experts to the UN panel monitoring the sanctions regime.
Per Radio Tamazuj, the panel would also be directed to work with other regional expert panels. The aim is better reporting on violations of the asset freeze, the travel ban and the arms embargo.
Opposition inside the Council
Russia, one of the five permanent members with veto power, warned on Monday against new measures affecting the Sudanese army, according to Avisen Danmark. Sudan’s UN envoy called for what was described as a technical extension of the existing Darfur embargo, while cautioning against changes that would weaken the army.
Radio Tamazuj identifies the Sudanese ambassador as Al-Harith Idriss and reports that he rejected any extension beyond Darfur. As stated by the outlet, he argued the measure would equate the national army with the Rapid Support Forces and undermine Sudan’s sovereignty. China is also reported to oppose the expansion.
The timing follows from the Council’s own calendar. A UN Security Council press release from September 12, 2025 states that resolution 2791 renewed the Sudan sanctions regime until September 12, 2026, and aligned the expert panel’s mandate with that date.
Sudan has been at war for more than three years, with the army and the paramilitary RSF fighting for control. Tens of thousands of people have been killed, and advanced weapons including armed drones are causing heavy civilian losses, Avisen Danmark reports.
The army holds central and eastern Sudan, while the RSF controls Darfur in the west and parts of the south. Darfur is roughly the size of Spain and has seen some of the worst violence of the war.
More than 12 million people have been driven from their homes, and famine has been declared in several places. The UN and aid organizations describe Sudan as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.
