Russia vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Monday aimed at halting the ongoing war in Sudan and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid to millions facing severe famine. The resolution, sponsored by the United Kingdom and Sierra Leone, garnered support from all other council members, including China, but Moscow’s opposition rendered it ineffective.
U.K. Foreign Minister David Lammy, who presided over the Security Council meeting, condemned Russia’s move, calling it a “disgrace.” He accused Moscow of obstructing efforts to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Sudan, where conflict has raged since April 2023 between the military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
“This Russian veto defies the will of African nations and the broader international community,” Lammy said.
The crisis in Sudan erupted when long-standing tensions between military leaders escalated into full-scale violence, engulfing the capital, Khartoum, and spreading to regions like Darfur, a flashpoint of mass atrocities two decades ago. The U.N. has warned that the country teeters on the brink of famine, with over eight million people facing acute food insecurity.
U.S. President Joe Biden, addressing the crisis at the G20 summit in Brazil, called for unified international action. “On Sudan, we are witnessing one of the world’s gravest humanitarian catastrophes. External actors must cease arming the warring factions and join in one voice to demand an end to the violence,” he said.
The war has claimed more than 24,000 lives and displaced millions, creating what the U.N. describes as the worst displacement crisis globally. U.N. political chief Rosemary DiCarlo recently accused Sudan’s foreign backers of enabling the conflict.
Russia’s deputy U.N. ambassador, Dmitry Polyansky, justified the veto by asserting that Sudan’s internal affairs should remain under its government’s control. However, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield criticized Moscow, accusing it of playing both sides of the conflict to serve its geopolitical interests.
“It is shocking that Russia would veto an effort to save lives, though perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising given its pattern of obstruction,” she said.
The RSF has reportedly received support from external players, including Russia’s Wagner mercenary group and Arab allies through supply routes in Chad, Libya, and South Sudan. Meanwhile, Sudan’s military leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, has cultivated alliances with Egypt and Iran, with reports suggesting recent drone purchases to bolster government forces.
The conflict has drawn allegations against the United Arab Emirates for arming the RSF—claims the UAE denies—while international experts have highlighted the complex web of external influences exacerbating the violence.
As Sudan descends deeper into chaos, the failure of the U.N. resolution underscores the international community’s struggle to address one of the world’s most pressing humanitarian crises, leaving millions at the mercy of an unresolved conflict.