According to AFP, the US State Department on July 20 announced the imposition of a new round of sanctions against the Sudanese government on charges of using chemical weapons in the conflict with the Paramilitary Rapid Support Force (RSF).
The US did not disclose details about the type of chemical weapons allegedly used as well as the time and location of the attacks.
The conflict between the Sudanese army and the RSF that broke out in April 2023 has led to many accusations of war crimes.
The US has also imposed sanctions on some RSF commanders for allegedly carrying out genocide in the Darfur region (Sudan).
Last June, the US State Department announced the imposition of a second round of sanctions against the Sudanese government after concluding that the country used chemical weapons in 2024, violating the Convention on Chemical Weapons (CWC) that Sudan has ratified since 1999.
The Sudanese government immediately rejected the above accusations, saying that these were baseless and unproven claims.
The new sanctions, effective from July 20, continue to restrict access to US financial resources and exported goods to Sudan, and prohibit airlines owned by this country from using US airspace.
This is not the first time the Sudanese army has been accused of using chemical weapons. Previously, in 2016, Amnesty International also accused the Sudanese armed forces of conducting chemical attacks in the Darfur region. Sudan has denied these accusations.
Tensions between the US and Sudan have existed for decades under former President Omar al-Bashir. In the period after Bashir was overthrown in 2019, relations between the two countries showed signs of improvement but deteriorated since military generals continued to compete for power by force.
The United Nations assesses that Sudan is currently facing the world's most serious humanitarian crisis. Nearly 20 million people are facing serious food insecurity, while some relief organizations estimate that the conflict has killed more than 200,000 people.
For many years, the US and Saudi Arabia have co-chaired ceasefire negotiations. Recently, the US continued to push for a 3-month humanitarian ceasefire proposal but have not achieved results as both the Sudanese army and RSF are still pursuing the goal of gaining military advantage on the ground.
