US sanctions on Sudan over alleged chemical weapons use take effect

Sanctions imposed by the United States on Sudan’s government over its alleged use of chemical weapons during last year’s civil war have officially taken effect, according to a notice published Friday in the Federal Register.

The measures include restrictions on US exports, arms sales, and financial dealings with the government in Khartoum. These sanctions are set to remain in place for at least one year.

Washington said assistance to Sudan will be suspended, with exceptions made only for "urgent humanitarian assistance and food or other agricultural commodities or products."

However, the US government noted that some restrictions will be partially waived “because it is essential to the national security interests of the United States.”

The State Department previously said that the United States "calls on the Government of Sudan to cease all chemical weapons use and uphold its obligations" under the Chemical Weapons Convention, an international treaty banning the use of such weapons.

The sanctions follow a New York Times report in January citing anonymous US officials who alleged that Sudan’s military used chlorine gas at least twice in remote areas during its conflict with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Khartoum has denied the accusations.

While the sanctions mark a formal escalation, their immediate impact may be limited. Both Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo—former allies now leading opposing forces—are already under existing US sanctions.

The war between Sudan’s military and the RSF erupted in April 2023, plunging the country into chaos. Tens of thousands have been killed, and some 13 million people displaced in what the United Nations calls the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.