US Sanctions on Sudan Take Effect over Alleged Use of Chemical Weapons

Sudan Events – Agencies

The U.S. State Department has confirmed that sanctions against Sudan took effect on Friday, following accusations that the Sudanese army used chemical weapons in its armed conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Earlier, the U.S. State Department stated it possessed compelling and credible evidence that the Sudanese government used deadly chemical and biological weapons against civilians, in blatant violation of international law.

The sanctions, imposed under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act, include a cutoff of all aid to Sudan—except for urgent humanitarian assistance—a complete halt to U.S. defense services sales and financing, and a ban on Sudan receiving financial aid from any U.S. agency, including the Export-Import Bank. The sanctions also prohibit the export of goods and technologies related to national security to Sudan.

Exemptions for Emergency Humanitarian Aid

The sanctions exempt urgent humanitarian aid to Sudan and require case-by-case reviews. They also exclude exports related to U.S. civil aviation and American companies operating in Sudan.

The sanctions will remain in effect for a year, unless otherwise stated. Last month, U.S. State Department spokesperson Tamara Bruce said the United States had concluded that the Sudanese government used chemical weapons in 2024 and notified Congress before imposing the sanctions. The Sudanese government and military leadership have not commented on the U.S. move, but Sudan rejected the sanctions when they were first announced last month. At the time, the Ministry of Information dismissed the allegations as false and described them as “political blackmail without any evidence.” It claimed that “U.S. interventions lack both moral and legal grounds and undermine Washington’s remaining credibility, closing doors for its influence in Sudan due to its unilateral and unjust decisions.”

Since April 2023, the Sudanese army, led by Sovereign Council President Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (known as “Hemedti”), have been locked in a fierce war that has killed tens of thousands and displaced over 13 million people, according to the United Nations.

In recent weeks, El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur state, has witnessed continuous RSF shelling of Sudanese army positions using artillery and drones, resulting in numerous civilian casualties. In response, UN Secretary-General António Guterres called on Sudan’s Sovereign Council to agree to a humanitarian truce in El Fasher to facilitate aid delivery to besieged civilians.

Ongoing Violations

The UN Security Council has warned of a worsening humanitarian crisis and displacement emergency in Sudan as heavy fighting continues in the Kordofan and Darfur regions, where warring parties are vying for territorial gains.

Martha Pobee, UN Assistant Secretary-General for African Affairs, provided a briefing on the situation in Sudan, confirming increased human rights violations, extrajudicial killings in Khartoum, sexual violence against women, expanded child soldier recruitment, and rising attacks on humanitarian workers.

Pobee urged the Security Council to press for a humanitarian truce in Sudan, particularly in El Fasher, to ensure aid delivery and civilian protection without preconditions. She also called on UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy to Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, to use his influence to de-escalate tensions.

Sudanese human rights activist Sania Lewis reported that 80% of Sudan’s health facilities are out of service and that 24 million people face food insecurity. She accused both warring parties of destroying medical facilities and exacerbating famine. Lewis urged the Security Council to pressure the Sudanese army to stop denying the famine and to help alleviate civilian suffering.

Representatives from the UK, Russia, South Korea, and Greece warned of the catastrophic deterioration of Sudan’s humanitarian situation, with large numbers of people dying from hunger in Kordofan and Darfur, and collapsing health services amid ongoing clashes between the army and the RSF. They noted that Sudan is now facing the largest displacement crisis on the African continent.

Opening Borders and Delivering Aid

Sudan’s representative to the Security Council defended government efforts led by Prime Minister Kamal Idris to negotiate a humanitarian truce in El Fasher and open corridors to facilitate aid delivery and support voluntary return of displaced persons. He noted that 350,000 families had returned from ten states and that the government had been providing legal and social assistance to female survivors of sexual violence.

The Security Council held its open session on the Sudan situation in accordance with Resolution 2715, which mandates updates every 120 days on the UN’s support for Sudan’s path to peace and stability.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization urged the international community to support the Sudanese people and provide urgent funding, highlighting widespread destruction of health facilities, mass displacement, and the spread of diseases—especially cholera, which has now reached all parts of Sudan.

Despite repeated international attempts to broker a ceasefire between the Sudanese army and the RSF, fighting continues, with both sides blaming each other for escalating the conflict and derailing the transitional process after the collapse of the Framework Agreement, which had aimed to steer the military out of politics.