Washington: SAF Used Internationally Prohibited Chemical Weapons and Must Comply

The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of African Affairs shared that the United States has concluded that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) used internationally prohibited chemical weapons in (2024), in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

In response to a statement issued by the Port Sudan-based government, which rejected U.S. sanctions and denied the Sudanese Army’s use of internationally prohibited chemical weapons, the Bureau of African Affairs stated in a post on its (X) platform yesterday: “Unfortunately, Sudan has refused to acknowledge its use of chemical weapons. It has refused to take the necessary steps to address the situation. It has refused to return to compliance with the Convention.”

 The Bureau further emphasized that the internal committee established by the Port Sudan government “is no substitute for the independent verification conducted by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).”

 “Therefore, pursuant to U.S. law, we announced further sanctions on the Sudanese government,” according to the US Department’s Bureau of African Affairs. 

 Furthermore, the Bureau urged the Port Sudan government to fulfill its treaty obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention and take the necessary steps to return to compliance with its provisions.

 Two days ago, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the de facto authority in Port Sudan issued a statement rejecting the sanctions announced by the United States and denying the Sudanese Army’s use of internationally prohibited chemical weapons.

 The aforementioned development took place after the United States escalated its punitive measures against the de facto authority in Port Sudan, announcing the implementation of the second phase of sanctions stipulated in the Chemical and Biological Weapons Convention. Which followed the US official confirmation last week that the Sudanese Army had -indeed- used internationally prohibited chemical weapons, and that the de facto authority in Port Sudan had failed, within the legal timeframe, to meet the conditions for lifting those sanctions.

 The United States determined that Sudan used chemical weapons in 2024 in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention. Unfortunately, Sudan has refused to acknowledge its use of chemical weapons. It has refused to take the necessary steps to address the situation. It has refused to return to compliance with the Convention. Sudan’s internal committee is no substitute for independent OPCW verification. Therefore, pursuant to U.S. law, we announced further sanctions on the Sudanese government (further details below from the Department of State). We continue to urge Sudan to fulfill its treaty obligations and take steps to come into compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention.