The United Nations Security Council has unanimously extended the arms embargo and targeted sanctions applying to Sudan’s Darfur region for one month.
The short renewal preserves the measures established under the Council’s Resolution 1591 while members continue negotiating a United States proposal to expand the embargo across Sudan.
Washington argues that nationwide restrictions are needed to limit weapons reaching parties accused of attacks on civilians and humanitarian operations during Sudan’s continuing war.
Russia has opposed broadening the embargo, citing Sudanese sovereignty, while China has warned that wider restrictions could complicate the humanitarian emergency.
Sudan’s representative maintained that a national embargo would restrict the government’s right to defend the country, as international agencies report mass displacement, hunger and severe shortages of assistance.
The one-month compromise prevents the existing Darfur regime from expiring but leaves the central dispute—whether sanctions should cover the entire country—unresolved.
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