U.S. to impose sanctions on Sudan over chemical weapons use
May 22, 2025 (WASHINGTON) – The United States will impose sanctions on Sudan after determining its government used chemical weapons in 2024, the State Department announced on Thursday.
The determination, made under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act), was delivered to Congress alongside a finding that Sudan is in non-compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), to which it is a party.
“The United States calls on the Government of Sudan to cease all chemical weapons use and uphold its obligations under the CWC,” Department Spokesperson Tammy Bruce said in a statement.
Following a 15-day congressional notification period, the sanctions are expected to take effect around June 6, 2025, upon publication of a notice in the Federal Register.
The measures will include restrictions on U.S. exports to Sudan and limitations on access to U.S. government lines of credit.
The United States reiterated its commitment to hold accountable those responsible for contributing to chemical weapons proliferation.
The revelation of Sudan’s chemical weapons use follows earlier reports of such actions. According to a New York Times report published on January 16, 2025, senior U.S. officials indicated that Sudan’s military used chemical weapons on at least two occasions against the paramilitary group it is battling for control of the country, the Rapid Support Forces (R.S.F.).
These weapons were reportedly deployed recently in remote areas of Sudan, targeting R.S.F. members, with U.S. officials expressing concern about potential future use in densely populated parts of the capital, Khartoum.
These revelations coincided with earlier U.S. sanctions imposed on Sudanese military chief Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan for documented atrocities, including indiscriminate bombing of civilians and the use of starvation as a weapon of war.
The use of chemical weapons marks a significant escalation in the conflict between the Sudanese military and the R.S.F., which began in April 2023. The conflict has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, with an estimated 150,000 people killed, over 11 million displaced, and the worst famine in decades.