Sudan has forcefully denied accusations by the United States that its military used chemical weapons during its brutal civil war, dismissing the claims as “baseless and politically motivated.”
The US government imposed fresh sanctions on Sudan’s ruling authorities on Friday, citing alleged violations of the Chemical Weapons Convention, to which Sudan has been a signatory since 1999.
Washington said it had already briefed Congress on its findings in May, claiming Sudan used chemical agents in 2024 during battles against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
L
However, US officials have not released details about where or when the weapons were reportedly deployed.
The Sudanese government rejected the allegations outright.
“This is a dangerous lie meant to damage Sudan’s image and justify political pressure,” a government spokesperson said Saturday.
Despite the new sanctions, US officials confirmed humanitarian aid would continue, citing Sudan’s deepening crisis.
Nearly 25 million people are facing hunger, making it the worst food emergency on the planet today.
This is not the first time Sudan’s military has faced such accusations.
Earlier this year, The New York Times reported that anonymous US officials claimed Sudan’s army had used chlorine gas in at least two attacks.
The army’s leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, was allegedly aware and approved the operations.
Sudan’s military was also accused of using chemical weapons in Darfur in 2016, according to Amnesty International claims the government denied. In 1998, the US bombed a pharmaceutical factory in Khartoum, claiming it was tied to Al-Qaeda chemical weapons production. That too, Sudan called a fabrication.
Tensions between Sudan and the United States stretch back decades.
Though relations slightly improved after Omar al-Bashir was ousted in 2019, the 2021 military coup led by Burhan and RSF leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo (Hemeti) derailed democratic hopes and led to war in April 2023.
That war still rages. In January 2025, the US sanctioned both generals personally.
But attempts by Washington and others to negotiate a ceasefire have so far failed.
While the latest sanctions target Sudan’s ruling elite, experts warn they may have little effect.
Sudan’s military commanders are believed to have extensive networks to evade sanctions. Meanwhile, ordinary Sudanese face skyrocketing inflation, displacement, and famine.
More than 10 million people are displaced. Several regions are now under official famine classification.
In 2024, the US was Sudan’s largest humanitarian donor, providing nearly half of the UN’s $2 billion appeal.
But funding has dropped sharply under the new Trump administration, with American aid slashed by 80% this year.
Official data shows US exports to Sudan were just $56.6 million in 2024 — a tiny fraction of what they once were.