Space Industry and Business News
AFRICA NEWS
Sudan denies using chemical weapons after US imposes sanctions
Sudan denies using chemical weapons after US imposes sanctions
by AFP Staff Writers
Port Sudan, Sudan (AFP) May 23, 2025

Sudan's army-aligned government on Friday denied US allegations that it had used chemical weapons in its war against paramilitary rivals, a day after Washington said it would impose sanctions.

The reaction by the government spokesman comes after the United States said on Thursday it had determined that Sudan's military used chemical weapons in the country's bloody civil war last year and will impose sanctions.

"These baseless accusations are nothing but political blackmail and a deliberate falsification of the facts," Information Minister Khalid al-Aiser said in a statement, responding to sanctions announced by Washington targeting US exports to Sudan and the government's access to US credits.

The US State Department said it notified Congress on Thursday of its determination on the use of chemical weapons, triggering sanctions after 15 days.

The sanctions include restrictions on US exports and financing to Sudan's government.

In practical terms, the effect will be limited as both Sudan's military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and his adversary and former deputy, Rapid Support Forces (RSF) leader Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, are already under US sanctions.

Africa's third largest country has been ravaged by more than two years of war between their respective forces.

The Sudan conflict has killed tens of thousands of people, displaced 13 million and created what the United Nations describes as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

- 'False narrative' -

"The United States calls on the Government of Sudan to cease all chemical weapons use and uphold its obligations" under the Chemical Weapons Convention, an international treaty signed by nearly all countries that prohibits their use, the State Department said on Thursday.

The government, now based in Port Sudan, on Friday denounced the accusations that the army had engaged in chemical warfare against its rivals.

"This false narrative, which the American administration is trying to spread internationally, is just another attempt to mislead public opinion," Aiser said.

He accused Washington of "complicity" with the RSF, citing in particular "the support of the United Arab Emirates".

The UAE has always rejected the charge that it supplies weapons to the RSF, despite numerous reports from UN experts, US political officials and international organisations.

"Washington remains silent on documented crimes against civilians in Darfur and other regions, crimes supported by the Emirates who provide militias with strategic drones and sophisticated American weapons," Aiser said.

The New York Times reported in January that Sudan's military had used chemical weapons on at least two occasions in remote areas in its war with the RSF.

Citing anonymous US officials, the newspaper said that the weapon appeared to be chlorine gas, which can cause severe respiratory pain and death.

Sudan's army said on Tuesday it had dislodged the RSF from their last positions in Omdurman, securing all of greater Khartoum nearly two months after recapturing the heart of the capital.

The war has effectively split Sudan in two, with the army holding the centre, north and east while the RSF controls nearly all of Darfur and, with its allies, parts of the south.

Related Links
Africa News - Resources, Health, Food

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
AFRICA NEWS
Six dead in ICoast landslide after heavy rain
Abidjan (AFP) May 21, 2025
Six people died in an overnight landslide after torrential rain in Ivory Coast's main city Abidjan, a government minister and emergency workers said. Heavy rainfall is typical in Ivory Coast from May through to late July and landslides and flooding are common with dozens of fatalities annually. "We learned mid-morning of the initial damage caused by last night's rain in Abidjan," national cohesion minster Myss Belmonde Dogo wrote on her Facebook page. She reported a landslide affecting three ... read more

AFRICA NEWS
Vietnam jails 23 people over rare earths exploitation

Nvidia unveils plan for Taiwan's first 'AI supercomputer'

Microsoft strikes deal with Musk to host Grok AI

Startup enables 100-year bridges with corrosion-resistant steel

AFRICA NEWS
Enveil Secures DIU Contract to Advance Hybrid Space Architecture Data Capabilities

Space Laser Communication Terminal Prototypes Enter Phase 2 for Advanced On-Orbit Crosslink Compatibility

China launches advanced Tianlian II-05 relay satellite to boost space communications

Sidus Space awarded US patent allowance for modular satellite system

AFRICA NEWS
AFRICA NEWS
Satellites Enhance Navigation Safety on the Mersey with Cutting-Edge Tidal Mapping

Sierra Space Reaches Key Milestone in Space Force R-GPS Program

Children as young as five can navigate a 'tiny town'

Digging Gets Smarter with Trimble's Siteworks Upgrade for Excavators

AFRICA NEWS
Estonia slams 'threat' after Russia violates airspace

Japanese military training plane crashes with two on board

Rights groups urge court to halt UK fighter jet supplies to Israel

Boeing April deliveries hit by US-China trade war

AFRICA NEWS
China's Xiaomi to invest nearly $7 bn in chips

China slams US 'bullying' over new warnings on Huawei chips

Naturally Occurring Clay Shows Promise for Sustainable Quantum Technology

Global chip giants converge on Taiwan for Computex

AFRICA NEWS
Rocket Lab Completes Third Successful iQPS Mission with More Launches Scheduled for 2025

From GPS to weather forecasts: the hidden ways Australia relies on foreign satellites

German Satellite Achieves First Simultaneous CO2 and NO2 Measurements from Power Plant Emissions

Reveal and Maxar Expand Farsight Platform with High-Resolution Satellite Data Integration

AFRICA NEWS
Polar bear biopsies to shed light on Arctic pollutants

UK lab promises air-con revolution without polluting gases

The US towns that took on 'forever chemical' giants -- and won

The US towns that took on 'forever chemical' giants -- and won

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.