NEW YORK — The United Nations Security Council voted 13–0 on Friday to authorise the deployment of a 22,000-strong UN Protection Mission to Sudan, tasked with protecting civilians in the Darfur and Kordofan regions, where fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces paramilitary group has displaced an estimated 4.2 million people since violence escalated in April 2023.
Russia and China abstained rather than vetoing the resolution, a diplomatic outcome that Western negotiators had not considered certain until hours before the vote. Both nations have extensive commercial interests in Sudan and had previously blocked or delayed peacekeeping resolutions during earlier phases of the conflict.
What the Mission Will Do
The mission, designated UNPMS, is authorised under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, giving it the right to use force to protect civilians under imminent threat. Its mandate includes establishing humanitarian corridors, monitoring ceasefire compliance, supporting the eventual disarmament and demobilisation of armed groups, and assisting with the investigation of alleged war crimes.
A parallel International Criminal Court investigation has been active since 2005 and has issued arrest warrants for senior figures in both the SAF and RSF, though none have been surrendered to The Hague.