The United States has officially imposed a new round of sanctions on Sudan, following a formal determination that the Sudanese government used chemical weapons against its own population, according to a notice published in the Federal Register.
The sanctions stem from a finding issued by the U.S. State Department on April 24, which concluded that Sudan violated international law by deploying chemical or biological agents. The measures are enacted under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991.
Effective immediately, the sanctions include a suspension of most forms of U.S. foreign assistance, except for urgent humanitarian aid. They also halt sales and financing of American defense articles and services to Sudan, block the country from receiving credit or financial support from U.S. government agencies — including the Export-Import Bank — and prohibit the export of sensitive national security-related technologies.
Despite the sweeping restrictions, the State Department has authorized partial waivers, citing U.S. national security interests. These waivers permit certain types of assistance and allow case-by-case reviews for defense sales to non-governmental entities in Sudan, as well as for exports critical to civil aviation safety and operations of U.S. or foreign-owned subsidiaries in the country.
The sanctions are set to remain in force for a minimum of one year.
Sudan’s government has denied the allegations. In May, the Sudanese military leadership announced the formation of a national committee to examine the claims made by the United States.