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 US 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 spiraled to 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. The US 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 neighboring countries. Sudan joined the Chemical Weapons Convention in 1999 and currently serves on the OPCW Executive Council.
The United States has questioned wh…
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