Sudan’s War Turns Darker as Reports Emerge of Military’s Chlorine Gas Use

Fresh evidence suggests Sudan’s military may have used chlorine gas as a weapon in the country’s ongoing conflict; an act prohibited under international law.

A new investigation has provided the first public evidence supporting U.S. allegations that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, deployed chemical weapons during clashes in September 2024.

The U.S. sanctioned al-Burhan in January 2025, though it did not release its evidence at the time.

Photos and videos from sites north of Khartoum including the Garri military base and Jaili oil refinery, both under the control of the rival Rapid Support Forces (RSF) showing metal chlorine containers, small craters, and a yellow-green gas cloud, characteristic of chlorine exposure.

Witness testimonies and independent verification by Human Rights Watch support the findings.

The use of chlorine as a weapon is a serious violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention and a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Chlorine exposure can cause severe respiratory distress, skin irritation, and death.

Rights groups and analysts are urging the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to launch a transparent investigation and calling on the U.S. to publish the evidence underpinning its sanctions.

The alleged attacks mark a new and disturbing phase in Sudan’s brutal civil war, raising fears that chemical weapons could become part of an already devastating conflict marked by widespread war crimes from both sides.