US senior Africa envoy Massad Boulos requested that the UN Security Council expand its existing Darfur arms embargo to cover all of Sudan, citing the rapid escalation of uncrewed aerial vehicle operations across the country.
Addressing the council, Boulos warned that external financial and military transfers—specifically targeting drones and related systems—risk destabilizing the broader region. The proposal faces opposition from Russia and China, whose representatives argued that a nationwide prohibition would compromise the operational effectiveness of the Sudanese armed forces, as reported by BBC.
Both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have integrated sophisticated strike drones into their operational doctrines. According to UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo, uncrewed platforms operated by both belligerents systematically hit critical civilian infrastructure, including fuel depots, markets, and water utilities, accounting for at least 1,100 documented civilian deaths between January and June. Technical analyses indicate that foreign-manufactured uncrewed systems continue to supply both factions, with the military employing Turkish and Iranian platforms while the RSF utilizes external supply networks to sustain its aviation logistics hubs, including Nyala airport.
