United States Proposes Extension of UN Arms Embargo to All of Sudan

The United States has pressed the UN Security Council to extend the 2005 weapons ban on Darfur to encompass the entire country of Sudan. US Senior Adviser for Arab and African Affairs Massad Boulos proposed the measure on 24 August to address the risk of regionalization of the conflict and to curb the proliferation of attack drones. Boulos stated that armed drones have killed more than 1,120 Sudanese civilians in the first half of this year, accounting for approximately 80 percent of all recorded civilian deaths during that period.

The draft resolution has received support from the United Kingdom and France, but it is opposed by Russia, China, and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF). SAF Commander Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan accused the US administration of siding with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and warned that the Sudanese people would not be subjugated by sanctions.

UN under secretary-general for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo told the council that drones from both sides have struck schools, markets, and other essential infrastructure. While Boulos insisted the measures do not seek to create advantages for either party or imply equivalence between the conflict parties, some critics argue the policy fails to distinguish between the official army and the RSF militia. Former State Department official Cameron Hudson noted a qualitative difference in how the two sides use drones, suggesting the RSF specifically targets civilians while the SAF views civilian casualties as collateral damage.

The proposal comes as the SAF has recently achieved military gains, including retaking the Al Sadarat highway. According to the monitor ACLED, the SAF is currently positioned to use its aerial asymmetry to weaken its rival.