UN Security Council Extends Sanctions on Sudan

moatinoun (Citizens)

The United Nations Security Council renewed the arms embargo on Sudans Darfur region for another year, extending it until September 12, 2025.

The resolution includes a travel ban, asset freezes, and an arms embargo. It also establishes a Sanctions Committee to oversee implementation, along with a panel of experts to gather information on compliance and report back to the Council.

The resolution, distributed by the United States and adopted unanimously by the 15-member Council, is a renewal of sanctions that have been in place since 2005, specifically targeting the Darfur region.

The Security Council first adopted Resolution 1591 on March 29, 2005, imposing sanctions on Sudan, targeting individuals and entities involved in the Darfur conflict.

China and Russia, the two permanent members of the Security Council who abstained from voting during the last renewal in 2023, voted in favor of the resolution this time.

U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, thanked the Council members for their "constructive engagement in renewing Sudan’s sanctions regime for another 12 months."

Wood emphasized the "danger, despair," and "hopelessness" facing the people of Darfur, stating, "This adoption sends an important signal to them that the international community remains focused on their plight and is committed to fostering peace and security in Sudan and the region."

He added, "The renewal of the sanctions measures will help limit the movement of arms into Darfur and punish individuals and entities contributing to destabilizing activities in Sudan."

U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, tweeted following the extension of the resolution:

"The international community must do everything it can to promote peace and security in Sudan and the region. Renewing the sanctions regime on Sudan is an important step in restricting the movement of arms to Darfur—and ensuring accountability for those contributing to destabilizing activities in Sudan."

China’s Deputy Ambassador Dai Bing stated that the move "will go a long way toward stemming the flow of illicit arms into the battlefield and calming the situation on the ground."

He added that sanctions are "a means, not an end. They should not replace diplomacy."

Sudan’s Ambassador, Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith Mohamed, expressed concerns that extending the embargo creates "an imbalance of power among the various forces in Darfur."

However, Human Rights Watch researcher Jean-Baptiste Gallopin described the resolution as a "missed opportunity" by the Council to expand the arms embargo to cover the entirety of Sudan.