What New U.S. Sanctions Mean for the Sudan Civil War

Jul 31, 2026

Also published in National Interest
Flag of Sudan - source: Reuters
About the Authors
Arieg Elhag
Areig Elhag

Areig Elhag is the Arabic Content Editor at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy. She has more than 15 years of experience in journalism and political analysis.

Articles & Testimony

A determination that the Sudanese government used chemical weapons likely will not alter the military balance, but it does create a record that activists, human rights advocates, and any future civilian government can ultimately draw upon in pursuing accountability.

This month, the United States imposed a new package of sanctions on Sudan’s government following a 2025 US determination that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, used chemical weapons against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The sanctions themselves will have little practical effect on the SAF: Sudan has almost no US exports to lose, no active loans from international financial institutions, and no direct flights to the United States. But in Sudan, the word of the US government still holds value, and the Sudanese people are already building momentum to hold Burhan and his forces accountable for their war crimes. American pressure on the SAF at this point in the war will further complicate US policy to end the war…

Read the full article on the National Interest website.

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