Sudanese Army's Alleged Chemical Weapon Use Sparks Global Concern
A coalition of Sudanese actors and international reports highlight the alleged use of chemical weapons, specifically chlorine gas, by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in the ongoing civil war. The US government and a France 24 investigation point to SAF's use in September to recapture a refinery. Condemned as a serious crime, calls are growing for Sudan's army-backed government to acknowledge violations, cease use, and cooperate with international investigations by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons. The conflict has caused immense casualties and humanitarian crises.
The article details the escalating international alarm surrounding the reported use of chemical weapons by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in Sudan's devastating civil war. A coalition of political and civil society groups, known as Somoud and led by former Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok, expressed profound concern over allegations from the US government and global media. These reports, including an investigation by France 24, suggest the SAF deployed chlorine gas in September 2025 during an attempt to reclaim a strategic refinery from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).Somoud has vehemently condemned the use of chemical weapons as a grave violation of International Humanitarian Law and the Chemical Weapons Convention. They demand an immediate halt to such actions and urge the army-backed government in Sudan to acknowledge these violations and permit the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to conduct independent investigations, holding those responsible accountable. The US State Department echoed these demands, emphasizing the necessity for Sudan's full cooperation.The France 24 report linked the chlorine gas supply to companies in Sudan and India, which had ostensibly purchased it for water treatment, a claim found unsubstantiated. The Sudanese armed forces have remained silent on the accusations. The civil war, which began in 2023, has resulted in approximately 150,000 deaths, widespread famine, and claims of genocide in Darfur, with both warring factions implicated in war crimes. Efforts by Quad countries (US, UAE, Egypt, Saudi Arabia) to mediate a peace plan involving a truce and ceasefire were recently accepted by the RSF, but initially rejected by army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, highlighting the complex and resistant nature of the conflict resolution.
