The United States proposed expanding the existing UN arms embargo on Darfur to cover all of Sudan during a Security Council meeting on Monday, arguing the measure is needed to contain a conflict now in its fourth year.
US envoy Massad Boulos called for the embargo to be extended geographically and materially, including to cover unmanned aerial vehicles and related technologies, while increasing the number of experts monitoring compliance. The current Darfur embargo expires on September 12. Sudan's ambassador Alharith Idris Alharith rejected the expansion, urging instead a "technical extension" of the current regime and warning that broadening it would hamper the national army. Russia, which holds veto power, has voiced skepticism over changes to the deal.
The debate came as UN officials painted a grim picture of the humanitarian crisis. Rosemary DiCarlo warned of the conflict's increasing complexity, while Tom Fletcher noted heavy use of drones and localized ground combat in recent weeks. Roughly 13 million Sudanese have been displaced by the war, with more than two-thirds of the population in need of life-saving aid.