Additional US Sanctions After Sudan Accused of Using Chemical Weapons

Moatinoon
The US administration announced that a new package of sanctions against the Sudanese government will take effect next Monday, marking a further escalation in relations between Washington and Khartoum. This comes after Washington declared that Sudan had failed to meet the requirements stipulated in the Chemical and Biological Weapons Convention within the specified legal timeframe.

The US administration stated that its review concluded the Sudanese government had not taken the necessary steps to avoid the next phase of sanctions. This follows previous accusations by Washington that the Sudanese army used chemical weapons during the ongoing conflict in the country.

In response, the Sudanese government categorically denied these accusations, asserting that it has not used any chemical weapons in the war that has been raging since April 2023. It also announced the formation of a national committee to investigate the allegations and repeatedly demanded that the United States provide the evidence upon which it bases its accusations.

These measures come at a time when Sudan is experiencing one of the worlds most complex humanitarian and security crises, with ongoing fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, resulting in widespread displacement and a sharp decline in living conditions.

The US decision is based on the Chemical and Biological Weapons Convention, which allows Washington to impose successive phases of sanctions on any country proven to have used such weapons, unless it meets specific conditions within a defined timeframe. These conditions include providing assurances and allowing verification procedures in accordance with US legal requirements.

These new sanctions differ from other US sanctions imposed on Sudanese individuals and entities due to the war or human rights violations. This time, they are based on the US Chemical and Biological Weapons Convention, which stipulates the imposition of escalating sanctions if the US administration concludes that a foreign government has used chemical or biological weapons, while granting it a grace period to take specific steps to avoid further escalation.

Khartoum maintains that the US accusations lack evidence, while Washington insists that its assessment was based on independent technical reviews and intelligence.