The United States on Thursday detailed sweeping new sanctions on General al-Burhan’s SAF after concluding that junta forces used chemical weapons against civilians, a breach of international law the State Department says occurred during fighting earlier this year.
Under the measures, which take effect on Friday, Washington is halting nearly all assistance to Khartoum provided under the 1961 Foreign Assistance Act, freezing arms sales and military financing, and blocking the export of U.S. goods and technology subject to national-security controls.
A senior State Department official, acting in the capacity of under secretary for arms control, formally determined on April 24 that Burhan’s SAF had deployed chemical or biological weapons, triggering mandatory penalties under U.S. law.
Humanitarian and food aid are exempt, and the official invoked a limited national-security waiver allowing some defence licences on a case-by-case basis to non-Sudanese entities, in line with Section 126.1(v) of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations.
The decision suspends approval of any items on the U.S. Munitions List for Sudan and bars government agencies, including the Export-Import Bank, from extending credit or guarantees. Commerce Department rules will likewise prohibit exports of goods on the Commerce Control List, though routine diplomatic and safety-of-flight exceptions remain.
The restrictions will stay in force for at least one year unless lifted by the president or revoked following a new determination that Khartoum is complying with international norms.
Sudan’s junta leadership, locked in a civil war with the Rapid Support Forces since April 2023, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
