The United Nations Security Council voted today, Friday, on a draft resolution to extend the sanctions regime imposed on Sudan under Resolution 1591 for one month, until October 9, following stalled negotiations that lasted for weeks regarding the expansion of the arms embargo to cover the entire country.
The United States prepared and drafted the resolution to serve as a "technical extension" that maintains the current measures without significant modification, which include asset freezes and travel bans on specific individuals, along with an arms embargo that remains geographically limited to Darfur.
The draft also states the Council's intention to extend the work of the expert panel that supports the Sudan sanctions committee and to make a decision on any additional extension of its mandate by no later than October 9.
The recourse to a technical extension followed lengthy negotiations on a previous American draft aimed at expanding the arms embargo to cover all of Sudan's territory and all parties operating within it, with a focus on including drones and their related systems and dual-use components within the scope of the embargo.
The negotiations showed a clear division within the Council, as several countries supported expanding the scope of sanctions in light of the growing extent of fighting and the increasing flow of weapons to Sudan, while China, Russia, and Pakistan, along with the three African members of the Council, opposed extending the embargo beyond Darfur, preferring to extend the existing regime without substantial changes.
Discussions are taking place amid a deteriorating security situation in Darfur, Kordofan, and Blue Nile, along with an increase in the use of drones and advanced weaponry, leading to heightened risks for civilians and critical infrastructure.
Some previous drafts of the resolution also proposed expanding the criteria for imposing sanctions to include violations against civilians, obstruction of humanitarian aid access, and attacks on workers and medical and humanitarian facilities, as well as logistical, financial, or military support that contributes to the continuation of fighting.
Adopting the one-month extension would provide Security Council members with more time to try to reach a settlement regarding the future of the sanctions regime and the mandate of the expert panel, amid ongoing disagreements over whether the measures should remain limited to Darfur or be expanded to encompass all of Sudan.