In a stark briefing to the United Nations Security Council on December 22, 2025, Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, Khaled Khiari, highlighted the escalating violence in Sudan, driven by the continued influx of increasingly sophisticated weapons. "The continued supply of weapons – increasingly sophisticated and deadly – remains a key driver of the conflict. Sudan is saturated with arms," Khiari stated, noting that repeated calls to halt these flows have been ignored, with no accountability enforced.
Khiari emphasized the unwillingness of the warring parties—the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF)—to compromise or de-escalate. He pointed out a grim irony: "While they were able to stop fighting to preserve oil revenues, they have so far failed to do the same to protect their population." The official urged the Council to deliver a unified message, stating: "We urge the Council to send a clear and united message: those who enable this war will be held accountable."
The briefing focused on recent intensification in the Kordofan region, where fighting has spread rapidly during the dry season, confirming long-held fears of heightened conflict. A particularly horrific incident cited was a drone attack on December 4, 2025, in Kalogi, South Kordofan, where strikes first hit a kindergarten and then targeted the hospital treating the victims. Reports vary on exact casualties, but sources indicate over 100 civilian deaths across related drone attacks in the region between December 4-16, including dozens of children in the Kalogi strikes alone—figures described by Khiari as contributing to "immense" and "unimaginable" civilian suffering.
The conflict, now in its third year, erupted in April 2023 after the collapse of a fragile power-sharing agreement aimed at transitioning to civilian rule following the 2019 ouster of longtime leader Omar al-Bashir. The RSF, formerly known as the Janjaweed militia implicated in the 2003 Darfur genocide, has clashed with the SAF in a brutal power struggle that has devastated the country.
A pivotal escalation occurred on October 26, 2025, when RSF forces overran El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur and the last major SAF stronghold in the region, after a siege lasting over 500 days. The fall triggered widespread atrocities, including summary executions, mass killings, sexual violence, and ethnic targeting, particularly against non-Arab communities. Tens of thousands fled, with reports of house-to-house searches, arbitrary detentions, and bodies burned or buried to conceal evidence. The takeover marked near-complete RSF control over Darfur, exacerbating displacement and humanitarian crises.
Khiari warned that the war's "increasingly complex nature" and "expanding regional dimensions" risk drawing in neighbors, potentially sparking a wider conflict. Both sides have increasingly deployed drones, contributing to indiscriminate civilian casualties. The RSF's advances in Kordofan—including captures of key towns like Babanusa and the oil-rich Heglig field—threaten critical infrastructure and food production, while sieges on cities like Kadugli and Dilling have trapped civilians amid shelling and shortages.
Sudan's humanitarian catastrophe is unparalleled: over 25 million people—half the population—face acute food insecurity, with famine confirmed in parts of Darfur. More than 11 million are internally displaced, and 2 million have fled abroad, creating the world's largest displacement crisis. Disease outbreaks, including cholera and dengue, compound the misery, with health facilities overwhelmed or destroyed.
External support has prolonged the war. Allegations persist of arms supplies bypassing or violating embargoes, with sophisticated weaponry—including drones—reaching both factions through neighboring countries. The UN has repeatedly called for stricter enforcement of arms restrictions and investigations into violations.
Mediation efforts, including those supported by regional bodies like the League of Arab States, have yielded limited results amid fragmented processes. Khiari stressed the need for coordinated international pressure on backers to leverage influence for de-escalation and a Sudanese-led political dialogue.
Council members echoed concerns over spillover risks and civilian protection. The briefing underscored the urgency for robust action, including potential targeted measures against enablers, to avert further deterioration.
As 2025 draws to a close, Sudan's conflict shows no signs of abating, with the dry season enabling rapid territorial shifts and heightened lethality. Without decisive intervention to stem arms flows and enforce accountability, experts warn of irreversible regional instability and generational devastation.
