As fighting continues between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (HDK), secret documents, videos and messages reviewed by The Washington Post indicate that the army may have operated a covert chemical weapons program during more than three years of civil war. According to the newspaper, munitions were produced using chlorine, which is believed to have been used in water treatment, the weapons were tested in deserts and target lists were prepared. Messages exchanged between commanders indicate that 290 chemical munitions were in stock, while other messages say that 106 chlorine bombs may have been used. Videos show yellow-green gas rising after explosions, while documents describe “dual-effect” bombs and a new design intended to conceal evidence. The United States imposed sanctions on Sudan’s government in July over allegations of a chlorine gas attack in September 2024. More than 20 experts who reviewed the documents said they were credible evidence, but that access to facilities and witnesses would be needed for definitive confirmation. Sudan’s government denies the allegations. Both sides have been accused of war crimes in the war that began in 2023; more than 13 million people have been displaced.
Why it matters
If the allegations are verified, the scope of the war in Sudan will be assessed not only through the parties’ mutual accusations and the displacement toll, but also through the possibility that chemical munitions were used. For this reason, the issue is important not only in relation to Sudan’s government, but also in terms of the basis and scope of the steps taken by the United States, which previously imposed sanctions. However, a significant portion of the available evidence is based on confidential documents, videos and messages; without access to facilities and witnesses, the nature of the munitions, the way they were used and those responsible cannot be established definitively. The Sudanese government’s rejection of the allegations also constitutes the central dispute facing the investigation. These unresolved issues make it necessary for the allegations to be independently verified and for the assessment of war crimes to be supported by concrete evidence.