The Sudanese government has fiercely rejected allegations by the United States that it used chemical weapons during its civil war, calling the claims baseless and a form of “political blackmail.”
In a strongly worded statement issued Friday, Information Minister Khalid Al-Ayasir, who also serves as the official government spokesperson, dismissed the U.S. accusations as part of a long-standing campaign of interference.
“Sudan strongly denounces these recent accusations and sanctions,” said Al-Ayasir. “They are a distortion of facts and an attack on our sovereignty, designed to undermine the Sudanese people’s pursuit of peace and stability.”
The U.S. State Department announced on Thursday that it would impose sanctions after concluding that chemical weapons were deployed by government forces in 2024 during clashes with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The sanctions—effective next month—will restrict U.S. exports to Sudan and block access to U.S. government credit facilities.
Al-Ayasir accused Washington of double standards, alleging that the U.S. has remained silent on “well-documented atrocities in Darfur and other regions,” while focusing only on claims that serve geopolitical interests.
“It’s no coincidence that such accusations resurface whenever Sudan makes tangible progress,” he said, suggesting the allegations were aimed at derailing peace negotiations and international partnerships.
The ongoing conflict in Sudan, which erupted in 2023 between the military-led government and the RSF, has plunged the country into a humanitarian crisis, displacing millions and fueling allegations of war crimes from both sides.
While Washington maintains that its findings are supported by classified intelligence and witness testimonies, Khartoum insists no evidence has been provided and that the U.S. is interfering in internal affairs under the pretext of human rights.
Diplomatic tensions between the two nations are expected to escalate in the coming weeks as the sanctions take effect.
