Port Sudan, May 29(Darfur 24)
The Chairman of the Sovereignty Council and Commander-in-Chief of the Sudanese Armed Forces, Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, issued a decision on Thursday to form a national committee to investigate US accusations of Sudan’s use of chemical weapons.
The committee includes representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, and the General Intelligence Service, and is expected to submit its report immediately, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the formation of the committee comes in compliance with Sudan’s international obligations, including the Chemical Weapons Convention, and within the framework of the Sudanese government’s transparency and its disbelief in the veracity of the US administration’s accusations of Sudan’s use of chemical weapons.
The US State Department announced last Thursday that the United States would impose new sanctions on Sudan after it was proven that its government used chemical weapons last year in the ongoing war against the Rapid Support Forces.
The sanctions include restrictions on US exports to the country and limits on financial borrowing. The sanctions are expected to take effect on June 6, according to a statement by State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce.