The US has imposed additional sanctions on Sudan’s military-backed government after accusing its armed forces of using chemical weapons during the country’s civil war.
The measures followed a US determination that Sudan used chemical weapons in 2024 in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
That finding, issued in April last year, triggered an initial round of sanctions under US law and gave Khartoum three months to meet conditions that could have averted further penalties.
After failing to do so, Washington moved ahead with a second package of sanctions.
The measures tighten US export controls.
Most exports of American goods and technology to Sudan will now be blocked, with only limited exemptions for humanitarian assistance, civil aviation safety, encryption, and a few other specified categories.
Khartoum denied the allegations, calling the sanctions politically motivated and based on “falsification of the facts.”
The War in Sudan
Sudan has been engulfed in a civil war since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), commanded by General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
According to the United Nations, 33.7 million people across Sudan require humanitarian assistance, while nearly 20 million are experiencing acute food insecurity, with many areas at risk of famine.
More than 8.9 million people have been internally displaced since the conflict began, and over 150,000 have reportedly been killed.
Both sides have been accused of serious violations of international humanitarian law and abuses against civilians.
In addition to allegations of chemical weapons use, the Sudanese military has also been accused of indiscriminate shelling.
The RSF has been accused of ethnically motivated killings, widespread sexual violence, and extrajudicial executions.
Washington has previously sanctioned both al-Burhan and Dagalo over alleged war crimes.
Although Sudanese forces have regained control of Khartoum and much of the country’s north and east, the RSF still controls most of Darfur.
Multiple international mediation efforts have failed to secure a lasting ceasefire, with both sides maintaining incompatible conditions for negotiations.
