The United States says sanctions imposed on Sudan over chemical weapons will remain in force until the country declares and destroys its prohibited arsenal under international supervision.
A US State Department spokesperson told Asharq Bloomberg that Sudan must work with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to ensure the verifiable destruction of chemical weapons and related production facilities.
Washington said its assessment remains that Sudan used chemical weapons in violation of its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention.
The State Department called on Sudan to halt all chemical weapons-related activity and take immediate steps to return to compliance with the convention.
US sanctions were imposed under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act, known as the CBW Act.
The measures include restrictions on exports, US arms sales, access to US government credit, assistance from multilateral development banks and the ability of Sudanese air carriers to operate in the United States.
The spokesperson said the restrictions would stay in place until Sudan takes concrete steps to address Washington’s concerns.
Those steps include ending any chemical weapons use, declaring all chemical weapons and production facilities, and destroying them through a process subject to international verification.
The latest US comments sharpen the conditions for any easing of sanctions, making clear that Washington is demanding verifiable disarmament rather than assurances from the authorities in Port Sudan.
