Sudanese army, government condemn U.S. sanctions over alleged chemical weapons use
May 23, 2025 (PORT SUDAN) – The Sudanese army on Friday described U.S. sanctions imposed on Sudan as “serious,” while the government labelled them as “political blackmail” and a “distortion of facts.”
The U.S. State Department announced on Thursday that it would impose sanctions on Sudan, alleging that its government used chemical weapons last year.
The decision was made under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 (CBW Act). Congress was notified of the decision, along with a conclusion that Sudan is not in compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), to which it is a party.
Sudanese army spokesman Brigadier Nabil Abdallah stated in a press release that the U.S. accusations of the army using chemical weapons in 2024 were “serious and misleading.” He emphasized that the army is fighting a legitimate war with clean methods and never uses any prohibited weapons.
In the first official government reaction, government spokesman and Minister of Culture and Information, Khaled Aleisir, said that “what was issued by the U.S. administration in terms of accusations and decisions is characterized by political blackmail and a distortion of facts.”
Aleisir added in a statement that the United States has consistently pursued policies that hinder the Sudanese people’s path towards stability, peace, and prosperity. He stated that these “false claims” once again targeted the Sudanese army after battlefield achievements that changed the reality of the conflict, and following the appointment of a prime minister.
Last week, the head of the Sovereign Council and army commander, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, appointed Kamil Idris, the former Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), as Sudan’s prime minister.
The Sudanese government spokesman stated that the U.S. administration is seeking to market a false narrative to mislead public opinion and provide political cover for entities that have lost their legitimacy and committed crimes against Sudanese people. He added that the previous U.S. administration had sought to impose the framework agreement on Sudanese people in a way that ensured the continued presence of militias within an artificial transitional scene.
For its part, the Sudanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a press statement, denied the unfounded allegations contained in the U.S. State Department’s statement that the Sudanese army had used chemical weapons in its response to the war of aggression and invasion that Sudan is facing.
The Foreign Ministry condemned the measures the U.S. administration announced to be taken against Sudan based on these “false” allegations and expressed its astonishment at the administration’s approach to this matter.
The sanctions are expected to come into effect after a 15-day notification period to Congress, approximately around June 6, following the publication of a notice in the Federal Register. The measures will include restrictions on U.S. exports to Sudan and restrictions on access to U.S. government credit lines.