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Are NM able to use cruel duelists? They don’t have a melee weapon only attacks in melee if I have sonic blasters?

Select Weapon
When a model makes a close combat attack, it must do so using a melee weapon... If a model is not equipped with any melee weapons, or if it cannot make an attack with any of the melee weapons it is equipped with, then that model makes its attacks using a close combat weapon, which has the following profile: ... S:User, AP0 D1

So, basically, everyone is equipped with a melee weapon at all times from my reading.

Presumably, the reason they call out a melee weapon might be from other rules interactions that allow firing a ranged weapon on death? Not terribly familiar with Chaos Marines, but I know the Astartes Banner from a Space Marine Ancient can allow a ranged weapon to be fired in the fight phase.

Yea they can use this strategem with the default close combat weapon profile from the BRB.

The two answers above are 100% correct.