UN extends Darfur arms embargo for one year

Saturday 13 September 2025 - 07:15

By: Sahili Aya

UN extends Darfur arms embargo for one year

The United Nations Security Council decided on Friday to extend for another year the arms embargo on Sudan’s Darfur region, a measure that has been in place since 2005. The sanctions, renewed until September 12, 2026, include an arms ban as well as individual restrictions such as asset freezes and travel bans targeting five individuals.

The U.S. representative to the UN, John Kelley, emphasized that the decision reflects the international community’s determination to curb the flow of weapons fueling the violence. “The situation in Darfur remains dire, with widespread violence, severe humanitarian challenges and massive displacement,” he noted.

Diplomatic sources indicated that some member states had proposed broadening the scope of the embargo to include neighboring regions such as Kordofan. However, Russia, a permanent member of the Council with veto power, firmly opposed the idea.

Since April 2023, Sudan has been torn apart by a brutal conflict between the national army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) commanded by his former deputy, General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo. The fighting has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced over 14 million, inside and outside the country, pushing Sudan into what the UN describes as “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.”