Washington has announced that it has concluded the Sudanese army used chemical weapons over the past year amid the ongoing civil war. As a result, Washington has imposed sanctions that are set to take effect next month. So, what are these sanctions?
The U.S. State Department said on Thursday (May 22, 2025) that the United States will impose sanctions on Sudan after it was confirmed that its government used chemical weapons in 2024 during the conflict between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement that the sanctions would include restrictions on U.S. exports and U.S. government credit lines, and are expected to take effect around June 6, after notifying Congress.
What is the chemical weapon and where was it used?
Bruce added: “The United States calls on the Government of Sudan to cease the use of chemical weapons and to fulfill its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention,” which prohibits the use of such weapons.
Bruce said, “The United States is fully committed to holding accountable those responsible for contributing to the proliferation of chemical weapons.”
The U.S. State Department did not immediately disclose any details regarding the location or timing of the use of these weapons.
The New York Times had reported in January, citing four senior U.S. officials, that the Sudanese army had used chemical weapons at least twice during the conflict.
The newspaper quoted unnamed officials as saying that the weapon appeared to be chlorine gas, which can cause severe respiratory pain and death.
Political blackmail
On its part, the Sudanese government on Friday denounced “the American decision to impose new sanctions on Sudan,” considering it a form of political blackmail.
In a statement, the Sudanese government said, “Washington’s decision to impose new sanctions is a repetition of previous mistakes made by U.S. administrations in dealing with the country’s issues.”
The statement added, “The sanctions imposed by Washington are accusations and decisions characterized by blackmail and distortion of facts,” continuing: “Washington has consistently adopted policies that hinder the Sudanese people’s path toward stability.”
The Sudanese government affirmed that “the U.S. sanctions targeted the army after field achievements that changed the reality of the battle.”
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce announced yesterday, Thursday, that “America has concluded that Sudan used chemical weapons in 2024 and intends to impose sanctions after notifying Congress for a period of 15 days.”
Bruce said in her statement that the sanctions include restrictions on U.S. exports to Sudan and on access to U.S. government loan lines, noting that the sanctions are expected to take effect by June 6 or soon thereafter.
Earlier, the Sudanese army announced the complete cleansing of Khartoum State from any presence of “Rapid Support Forces” elements.
The Sudanese army said: “We have completed the cleansing of the capital, Khartoum, and expelled the Rapid Support Forces from it,” pledging to “continue efforts until the last inch of the country is cleansed of every rebel, traitor, and agent.”
The war in Sudan erupted in April 2023 as a result of a power struggle between the army and the Rapid Support Forces, leading to mass displacement, famine, and ethnically motivated killings.
In January, Washington imposed sanctions on army commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, accusing him of seeking to end the conflict through war rather than negotiations.
The United States also determined that members of the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias committed genocide and imposed sanctions on some of their leaders.
Bruce’s statement said that the United States officially decided on April 24, under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991, that the Sudanese government used chemical weapons last year
