Sudan welcomes UN Security Council technical extension of sanctions, rejects expansion

October 9, 2026 (UNITED NATIONS) — Sudan’s mission to the United Nations on Friday welcomed the UN Security Council’s decision to adopt a two-month technical rollover of the Darfur sanctions regime, insisting that the priority must be enforcing the current measures rather than expanding them nationwide.

On Thursday, the Security Council voted unanimously to renew the mandate under Resolution 1591 for an additional two months, marking the second short-term extension after the United States withdrew a proposal to broaden the arms embargo amid pushback.

In a press release, the Sudanese mission stated that the core challenge facing the sanctions regime has never been its geographic scope, but a lack of political will to ensure compliance and hold violators accountable.

The mission reiterated Sudan’s willingness to engage constructively with council members in substantive discussions to strengthen the regime’s effectiveness, cautioned against politicisation, and rejected any equivalence between a sovereign state and non-state militias or mercenaries.

Sudan, along with the UN Panel of Experts, has submitted evidence documenting sustained illicit flows of weapons, drones, ammunition, and mercenaries to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) through neighbouring African states, the statement said.

The mission accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of repeatedly breaching the arms embargo on Darfur by supplying the RSF, arguing that a sanctions system unable to halt weapons supplies or deter existing violators will not work better just by expanding its geographic boundaries.

The UAE has consistently denied supplying weapons or military support to the RSF.

Sudan reaffirmed its opposition to expanding the embargo nationwide, warning that such measures would blur the legal distinction between the national army and armed militias.

The mission warned that a nationwide ban would penalise legitimate state institutions and restrict lawful defence acquisitions, while illicit smuggling networks would continue bypassing controls to arm militias.

The Sudanese government reaffirmed its commitment to cooperating with the Security Council, the 1591 Sanctions Committee, and the Panel of Experts, while upholding Sudan’s national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and legitimate defence rights.