US Tightens Sanctions on Sudan Over Alleged Chemical Weapons Use

The United States has imposed a second round of sanctions on Sudan over allegations that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) used prohibited chemical weapons during the country’s civil war, escalating pressure on the military leadership despite Khartoum’s continued denial of the accusations.

The sanctions, which entered into force on 20 July, expand export controls, impose additional financial and aviation-related restrictions and require the United States to oppose loans and financial assistance to Sudan through international financial institutions. They build on measures introduced in 2025 after the US determined that Sudan had violated the Chemical Weapons Convention.

According to the US Department of State, the latest sanctions are based on a “rigorous and independent national technical assessment” concluding that prohibited chemical weapons were used during the conflict between the SAF and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which erupted on 15 April 2023 and has since created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

Addressing the 112th Session of the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) in The Hague on 9 July, US Ambassador Nicole Shampaine said “the prohibition on the use of chemical weapons is absolute and non-negotiable.” She called on Sudan to grant the OPCW Technical Secretariat “immediate, transparent and unrestricted access” to investigate the allegations and urged the authorities to comply with their obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

US Rejects Sudan’s Internal Investigation

The United States also rejected Sudan’s decision to establish a national committee to investigate the allegations, arguing that domestic inquiries cannot replace independent international verification.

Responding to Khartoum’s announcement, the US delegation said “domestic bureaucratic mechanisms are not a substitute for treaty compliance and independent verification.” It added that Washington had not conducted its own investigation inside Sudan but had shared its technical assessment with the Sudanese authorities and urged them to cooperate fully with the OPCW.

During the OPCW Executive Council meeting, Chad warned that any possession or use of chemical weapons in Sudan would threaten the security and stability of neighbouring countries.

Sudan joined the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1999 and currently serves on the OPCW Executive Council. The United States has questioned whether a country accused of violating the Convention should continue serving on the Organisation’s executive body while the allegations remain unresolved.

Meanwhile, Sudan has dismissed the US allegations and sanctions as politically motivated and unsupported by evidence, further maintaining that the country neither produces, possesses nor uses chemical weapons.

In a statement issued on 20 July, the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said it “categorically rejects the unilateral and illegal sanctions announced by the United States against Sudan based on false allegations.”

Humanitarian Exemptions

US officials said the sanctions are intended to target those responsible for alleged violations rather than the Sudanese population and include exemptions for humanitarian and food assistance.

At the same time, the US delegation warned that “the risk of further chemical weapons use remains a concern, as does the broader violence affecting Sudan’s civilian population.”

Despite the tougher measures, Washington said it remains prepared to support Sudan if it complies with the Chemical Weapons Convention. “We are prepared to support Sudan in this process,” the US delegation said, adding that “the Convention’s integrity depends on our collective commitment to upholding its obligations, and Sudan must take the first steps in this direction.”

The latest sanctions deepen Sudan’s diplomatic and economic isolation as the war enters its fourth year. While the United States says the measures are necessary to enforce the global prohibition on chemical weapons, Sudan insists the accusations are politically motivated and unsupported by evidence. The dispute is likely to intensify international scrutiny of the conflict and increase pressure for an independent OPCW investigation.

 

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