For the first time since Sudan’s conflict erupted over 18 months ago, a United Nations Security Council expert group arrived in Port Sudan on November 11 for a three-day visit intended “to assess the situation on the ground”, as reported by Sudan’s official news agency, Suna.
During their stay, the experts are scheduled to meet with Sudanese authorities charged with implementing UN Resolution 1591, which was established in 2005 to address the Darfur conflict.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan is primarily between the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemedti), and the Sudanese regular army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The Sudanese Sovereign Council, led by General al-Burhan, has pledged full cooperation to support the UN experts in fulfilling their mission.
The expert team has already started by engaging with members of Sudan’s National Coordination body, responsible for monitoring compliance with Resolution 1591. This coordination body operates under the High Commission for Implementation, headed by General Ibrahim Jaber. According to a statement from the Sovereign Council, the National Coordination representatives briefed the UN experts on widespread atrocities allegedly committed by RSF forces against civilians in Darfur and other regions of Sudan.
Resolution 1591 enforces an arms embargo on certain individuals and non-state groups in Darfur, such as the Janjaweed militia, and bars third-party nations from providing military aid or training to combatants in Darfur. Implementation of the resolution is overseen by a 15-member Security Council Committee.
On November 8, the UN Security Council strengthened sanctions under Resolution 1591, adding two RSF division commanders operating in Darfur, Abdel Rahman Juma Barkalla and Osman Mohamad Hamid Mohamed, to the sanctions list. These commanders now face asset freezes and travel bans.
The UN Security Council is also considering a new British-drafted resolution that calls on all warring parties in Sudan to cease hostilities immediately. The draft urges both sides to facilitate safe, swift, and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid across front lines and international borders.