US urges tougher UN sanctions to pressure Sudan’s warring sides toward peace
The United States is pushing for tougher United Nations sanctions on Sudan’s warring parties, seeking to curb foreign military support and pressure the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) to negotiate an end to a conflict that has killed at least 59,000 people and displaced some 13 million.
Speaking to the UN Security Council on Monday, US adviser for Arab and African affairs Massad Boulos said financial, military and political backing from outside actors continues to fuel the war, now in its fourth year.
Boulos said a proposed US resolution would expand the existing UN arms embargo beyond Darfur to cover the whole of Sudan. The measure would apply to all parties operating in the country and explicitly include drones and related technologies.
The draft resolution also calls on all countries to end direct or indirect logistical, financial or military support that enables the conflict to continue.
The United States did not identify countries providing such assistance. Egypt has openly supported Sudan’s military, while the United Arab Emirates has repeatedly denied allegations that it supplies weapons to the RSF.
UN warns of worsening humanitarian crisis
UN Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo told the council that the conflict has created a devastating humanitarian crisis.
Around 13 million people have fled their homes, including 8.7 million internally displaced across all 18 states. The UN human rights office documented about 1,400 civilian deaths between January and June this year, including around 1,100 people killed by drone strikes.
DiCarlo said mass killings, abductions of women and girls and sexual violence remain recurring features of the war. The UN has documented 838 victims of sexual violence since the conflict began, most of them women and girls.
She warned that drones operated by both sides have repeatedly struck markets, schools, fuel stations and water infrastructure.
Fighting spreads across key states
Recent fighting has been concentrated in North Kordofan, West Darfur, North Darfur and Blue Nile states, with heavy drone attacks and localized ground combat continuing despite the rainy season.
DiCarlo said the growing number of armed groups is further complicating efforts to end the conflict.
Beyond the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, numerous armed movements and local militias are pursuing their own territorial, political and security interests, increasing the risk of further fragmentation.
Sudan rejects wider sanctions
Sudan’s UN ambassador, Al-Harith Idriss Al-Harith Mohamed, questioned why the international response should involve broader restrictions on the country rather than targeting those responsible for violations.
Meanwhile, army chief General Abdel-Fattah Burhan rejected the idea that sanctions would force his forces to stop fighting. He said the army would continue its campaign until all areas controlled by the RSF are recaptured.
UN humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher urged the Security Council to act, saying Sudan’s people need food, water, medicine and peace rather than more weapons and mercenaries.
The war erupted in April 2023 after tensions between Burhan and RSF commander General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, shattered Sudan’s transition toward civilian rule following the 2019 ouster of longtime president Omar al-Bashir.
With diplomatic efforts yet to produce a lasting ceasefire, Washington is betting that stronger international pressure can persuade the rival forces and their external backers to shift from a military strategy toward negotiations.
