The UN Security Council passed Resolution 2781 on Friday, extending the arms embargo on South Sudan and targeted sanctions such as travel bans and asset freezes, until May 31, 2026. Algeria, Sierra Leone, Somalia, China, Pakistan, and Russia voted nine times in support of the resolution, with six abstentions.

The Council also extended the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the South Sudan Sanctions Committee until July 1, 2026. The resolution emphasizes the Council's readiness to revisit sanctions based on progress made toward benchmarks outlined in Resolution 2577 (2021), according to Xinhua.

It urges South Sudanese authorities to make additional progress and asks both the UN Secretary-General and South Sudan to provide progress reports by April 15, 2026.