Sudan’s Permanent Representative to UN: Arms Embargo Conflicts with the Right to Self-Defense  

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Sudan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Al-Harith Idriss, has expressed Sudan’s appreciation for friendly nations that have supported—and continue to support—its legitimate demand to reject expanding the arms embargo to cover the whole country’s territory, and its call for a purely technical renewal of Resolution 1591.

In his address to the UN Security Council session on Sudan on Friday, Ambassador Al-Harith explained that the proposed form of the arms embargo conflicts with Article 51 of the UN Charter, which guarantees member states the inherent right to self-defense, whether individually or collectively.

He emphasized that this right extends to the Sudanese Armed Forces and the forces integrated with them—which are waging the battle to defend Sudan and repel aggression—noting that the state has the right to possess, produce, and acquire the conventional weapons and means necessary to defend its sovereignty and protect its territory.

He added that wartime conditions and the resulting security fragility prevent the state from exercising full control over the movement of weapons or assessing their proliferation within its borders, given the presence of large numbers of armed groups and mercenaries.

The Permanent Representative pointed out that the international community had failed to support efforts to integrate and disarm armed groups following the Juba Peace Agreement of October 2020, noting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia’s refusal to integrate its forces into the national armed forces until after a prolonged period. He warned that the proposed resolution would strengthen non-state armed groups while curtailing the constitutional role of the armed forces, thereby fueling the illicit arms trade across Sudan’s borders and into neighboring countries.

He noted that the continued influx of weapons and the launching of drones from neighboring territories to target infrastructure amplify the role of external actors supporting the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia.

He also cited experts who confirmed that the arms embargo hinders the state’s ability to reassert control over its territory and infringes upon its legal rights.

He emphasized the state’s commitment to international law, contrasting this with the wide latitude armed groups enjoy in acquiring weapons—a disparity that allows them to bolster their arsenals.

Al-Harith asserted that addressing the situation in Sudan requires a balanced approach that respects the state’s right to self-defense and prevents the flow of arms to armed groups, thereby supporting Sudan’s stability and preserving its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

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