Sudan: US Congress Weighs Landmark Sudan Bills to Tighten Sanctions and Accountability

What the report says

US lawmakers are considering two Sudan-related bills that could shift Washington’s response to the war from executive-led policy toward a more durable legal framework. According to Dabanga, the proposals — the Prevention of External Aggression and Conflict Escalation Act of 2026 and the US Participation in Sudanese Peace Act — would expand congressional oversight, strengthen accountability measures and increase pressure on people and entities accused of helping sustain the conflict.

The article, published from Washington, cites political analyst and researcher Saif Jibril, who said the measures could broaden scrutiny beyond fighters on the ground to include financing networks, gold trading, banks, airlines, shipping firms and other external actors. He argued that, if enacted, the legislation could give Washington stronger tools to freeze assets, restrict visas, block access to the US financial system and limit government contracting for sanctioned parties. Rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, have also urged Congress to move faster on the bills, the report says.

Jibril cautioned that the measures are still at an early stage and may be amended, merged or delayed before becoming law. He also noted that the US alone cannot end the war or stop weapons flows, saying broader international cooperation would be needed. Dabanga says the proposed legislation would require regular reporting to Congress and could make future policy changes harder to reverse because federal law is more binding than administration policy.