Security Council Renews Sudan Sanctions Regime, Unanimously Adopting Resolution 2791 (2025)
Meetings Coverage
Security Council
9993rd Meeting (AM)
SC/16165
12 September 2025
The Security Council today extended for another year the 1591 Sudan sanctions regime, including targeted sanctions and an arms embargo, amid divisions over whether to reference Sudan's worsening situation or limit the draft to a purely technical roll-over.
Unanimously adopting resolution 2791 (2025)(to be issued as document S/RES/2791(2025)), the Council — acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations — decided to extend, for the purpose of aligning the timelines for the renewal of the measures and the mandate of the Panel of Experts, the mandate of the Panel of Experts in resolution 2772 (2025) until 12 October 2026.
It also requested the Panel to provide the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1591 (2005) concerning Sudan with an interim report on its activities by 12 March 2026 and provide to the Council a final report by 13 July 2026 with its findings and recommendations.
Further, the Council requested the Panel to provide updates regarding its activities to that Committee every three months, also expressing its intention to review the Panel's mandate and take appropriate action regarding its further extension by 12 September 2026. It also encouraged all parties, Member States and international, regional and subregional organizations to ensure continued cooperation with the Panel, as well as the safety of its members.
In the ensuing discussion, divisions emerged over adding references to Sudan's worsening situation: while some delegations sought stronger language on conflict-related sexual violence, mercenaries and humanitarian impacts, others opposed additions, insisting on a purely technical roll-over.
International Community Remains Focused on Stemming Flow of Arms
This adoption sends a clear message, stressed the representative of the United States: "The international community remains focused on stemming the flow of arms and promoting accountability for those who perpetuate violence and instability in Darfur." He welcomed the alignment of the Panel of Experts and sanctions renewal timelines, which ensures a more cohesive approach to addressing the crisis in Sudan. The situation in Darfur remains dire, with widespread violence, severe humanitarian challenges and mass displacement, he cautioned.
In the same vein, Denmark's delegate welcomed the extension of the sanctions regime in Sudan and its alignment with the mandate of the Panel of Experts. "For far too long, the people of Sudan have suffered while perpetrators have enjoyed impunity," she said. Attacks have destroyed critical infrastructure and created a humanitarian catastrophe, she observed, condemning attacks on civilians and humanitarian personnel, which have become "far too common". "This Council must act decisively for peace in Sudan," she stated.
Picking up that thread, the United Kingdom's representative welcomed the new language in the mandate, expressing concern at reports of conflict-related sexual violence and urged the Committee to sanction perpetrators. "This sanctions regime needs to be effective," he stressed, and "should include tackling the growing use of mercenaries and drones and addressing the expansion of fighting and arms flow into the Kordofan states". He urged all Council members to support the work of the Panel of Experts. Voicing regret that "for many months the Sudan Panel's work has been held up by some Council members", he expressed hope that "this can now change", given the Panel's critical role in ensuring that sanctions are effective.
Welcoming Alignment of Sanctions Regime, Panel of Experts Mandates
Panama's representative thanked the United Kingdom for its initiative to include in the text special considerations on conflict-related sexual violence, noting its importance in Sudan. He welcomed the alignment of mandates through the resolution, emphasizing: "This coherence among the Council's instruments is essential to ensure more effective and coordinated action." Regarding the measures provided for in the resolution, he stated: "Sanctions must remain a selective temporary tool, subject to continuous review, in light of developments on the ground and not a goal in themselves."
Slovenia's delegate noted that the Panel of Experts has provided a body of evidence of violations of the arms embargo and widespread violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law. It is crucial for the Panel to be made fully operational as swiftly as possible, he said, noting that the crisis in Sudan is not confined to Darfur. The Council's deliberations, including on sanctions, must reflect this wider context. Addressing "the brutalities exposed in recent reports", he cited atrocities across Sudan, especially in Darfur, including mass killings, torture, enforced disappearances, sexual violence and the deliberate denial of food, water and medical care, which "can only be summarized as terror". He called for the spiral of atrocities to end "and those who fuel, commit or profit from it" to be held to account.
However, others resisted broader references to Sudan's worsening humanitarian situation, preferring a narrow technical roll-over.
Conflict in Sudan Fuelled Primarily by Foreign Interference
Sierra Leone's representative, speaking also for Algeria, Guyana and Somalia, said their delegations voted in favour of the resolution as "the text covers their main concerns", particularly the alignment of the timelines for the renewal of the 1591 sanction measures and the mandate of the Panel of Experts. He noted that, despite sanctions, the conflict in Sudan continues to be fuelled primarily by military support and foreign interference from external actors. Accordingly, he urged "compliance with the sanction measures and accountability for those responsible for such violations and abuses".
Pakistan's representative welcomed the alignment of the sanctions regime with the mandate of the Panel of Experts. Voicing deep concern over the continued violations of the arms embargo, he stressed: "It is imperative that all States comply with the embargo."
China's delegate noted his delegation and other fellow Council Members have "consistently and responsibly called for addressing the misalignment of the mandates of the Sudan sanctions regime and the Panel of Experts respectively" — commending the resolution for resolving the issue. Beijing has repeatedly underscored that sanctions "are a means rather than an end and should not be abused as a political tool for interference and pressure," he added, emphasizing the priority of achieving a ceasefire, mitigating the humanitarian plight and advancing the political process.
In the same vein, the speaker for the Russian Federation underscored that the situation in Sudan and Darfur is "far from stable" — for over a year, the rebels have been besieging El Fasher. If the Council is seeking to extend the sanctions against Darfur, then it needs to work to fulfil its main duty, namely to shield the peaceful civilians in the region from growing violence and instability. Unfortunately, he observed, "some delegations have been unable to resist the temptation to populate this purely technical resolution with elements such as the issue of sexual violence". He emphasized that human rights violations and sexual violence in conflict are not the cause, but the consequence of the hostilities that have been ongoing in Sudan "since spring 2023".
Participation of Mercenaries Has Led Massacres, Summary Killings
For his part, Sudan's delegate recalled that his country has long requested a review of the sanctions and related measures under the resolution, in line with its fundamental right to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity. He stressed that external interference has prolonged the war and endangered civilians. The Sudanese army has been able to resist the militias; however, mercenaries — particularly from Colombia — have been brought in through private security companies headquartered in the United Arab Emirates. There were 248 flights on planes rented by the United Arab Emirates to transport and train these mercenaries in Sudanese territory. The participation of mercenaries in hostilities against the Sudanese army led to grave violations, including massacres and summary killings. In 2024, some Colombian mercenaries used white phosphorus, which is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law.
He underlined the importance of the Sanctions Committee and the Panel of Experts, noting Sudan's commitment to engage with them in good faith. Concurrently, he emphasized that the elimination of mercenaries is essential, as they pose a direct threat to peace, urging the Council to take constructive action to that end.
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