The United States has imposed new sanctions on Sudan following a determination that the Sudanese government used chemical weapons in 2024 amid the country’s ongoing civil war, a claim Sudan strongly denies.

The sanctions, announced on Thursday, include restrictions on U.S. exports and government credit lines and are set to take effect around June 6 after Congressional notification.

State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce urged Sudan to cease chemical weapons use and comply with the Chemical Weapons Convention, which bans chemical warfare. The U.S. decision, made under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991, follows reports by The New York Times citing U.S. officials who alleged the Sudanese army used chlorine gas on at least two occasions in remote areas in 2024.

Sudan’s government rejected the accusations as baseless and politically motivated. Spokesperson Khalid al-Eisir stated on Friday, “This interference, which lacks any moral or legal basis, deprives Washington of what is left of its credibility and closes the door to any influence in Sudan.” A Sudanese diplomatic source, speaking anonymously, suggested the sanctions’ timing was meant to divert attention from a recent Congressional campaign against the UAE.

The sanctions come amid Sudan’s escalating civil war, which began in April 2023 due to a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The conflict has killed tens of thousands, displaced nearly 13 million, and triggered widespread ethnic violence and famine, marking it as one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. The U.S. previously sanctioned Sudanese army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in January for obstructing peace talks and RSF leader General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, known as Hemedti, for alleged genocide by RSF forces and affiliated militias.

The U.S. reiterated its commitment to holding those responsible for chemical weapons proliferation accountable, as the international community calls for urgent action to address Sudan’s deepening humanitarian crisis. (ILKHA)