UNITED NATIONS (AP) – The United States is advocating for enhanced U.N. sanctions against the combatants in Sudan in hopes of creating pressure that would lead to a cessation of the ongoing violence, which has led to the deaths of at least 59,000 individuals, displaced approximately 13 million people, and driven multiple regions of the African nation into famine. President Donald Trump’s senior adviser for Arab and African affairs, Massad Boulos, addressed the U.N. Security Council on Monday, emphasizing that the financial, military, and political support provided to both the government forces and the rival paramilitary group, Rapid Support Forces (RSF), is a significant factor contributing to the conflict, which has now persisted into its fourth year.
Boulos refrained from naming any specific countries involved in providing this support. However, Egypt has been confirmed as a strong backer of the Sudanese military, while the United Arab Emirates has faced accusations from U.N. experts and human rights organizations of supplying arms to the RSF, a claim that the UAE has repeatedly denied. Boulos asserted that the Security Council possesses the necessary measures to limit the growing influx of military support to both factions from various external entities.
Two years ago, U.N.-backed human rights investigators called for the extension of an arms embargo, originally limited to Sudan's conflict-ridden western Darfur region, to encompass the entire nation. Boulos highlighted that a proposed resolution by the U.S. within the U.N. Security Council aims to broaden the arms embargo throughout Sudan. This resolution would apply to all parties operating within the territory and explicitly reaffirm that drones and associated technologies fall under the arms embargo.
Experts have noted that both Sudan's military and the RSF are in competition to acquire new drone models, with rights groups indicating that the employment of unmanned aerial vehicles has become increasingly prevalent in the northeast African country’s warfare. The U.S. draft resolution, which has been reviewed by The Associated Press, condemns the continuous influx of external military aid, weapons, and ammunition to the combatants, which prolongs the conflict and diminishes mediation attempts, including the operation of drones and unmanned aerial systems sourced from third nations.
The proposed resolution demands that all countries halt any form of direct or indirect support to the warring factions, whether logistical, financial, or military, which enables the ongoing conflict to persist. The violence escalated from a power struggle that arose during Sudan’s transition to democracy following a popular uprising that led to the ouster of longtime authoritarian President Omar al-Bashir in April 2019.
In 2022, tensions intensified between Sudan’s military chief General Abdel-Fattah Burhan, who presides over the ruling sovereign council, and RSF commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who serves as Burhan's deputy. Burhan stated on Monday that new sanctions would not deter his forces from continuing their military campaign until all RSF-held territories have been captured, as reported by the army-controlled SUNA news agency. He stated, "Our souls and destiny are in God’s hands," while addressing new police officer graduates in the capital, Khartoum. He further warned, "Our message to those staying in hotels abroad and cheering at sanctions that are meant to subjugate the Sudanese people is this: The people will not be broken, but we will break and defeat you."
U.N. political chief Rosemary DiCarlo conveyed to the Security Council that despite various diplomatic initiatives aimed at compelling government and paramilitary leaders to commence negotiations and halt hostilities, the conflicting parties remain entrenched in a zero-sum military mindset. She articulated the necessity for "greater international attention and action" to prompt a reevaluation of their approach.
