Sudan war: Army accused of Chlorine use

Sudanese army solders take part in a military parade on August 17, 2026. [AFP]

The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has been accused of using chemical weapons in their ongoing conflict with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

The new accusations come amid stories by both The New York Times and The Washington Post who published reports based on leaked intelligence materials.

This includes over 150 documents, photographs, video clips and intercepted communications among others.

The two papers say the evidence points to an alleged program established in 2024 to manufacture chlorine-based munitions.

It details bomb design blueprints, testing operations, and a coordinated cover-up strategy initiated after the plot was uncovered by the United States.

The records also outline plans to siphon chlorine gas from a civilian water treatment facility that had originally received the chemical from international aid agencies.

These revelations reignite long-standing allegations of chemical weapons usage that have shadowed SAF leadership since last 2025, significantly heightening international pressure on the military command.

The United States previously imposed sanctions on Sudan in May 2025 over allegations that the military deployed chemical weapons during the conflict in 2024.

These sanctions took effect on July 20, 2025.

Authorities in Port Sudan have consistently rejected these accusations, maintaining that they do not produce, stockpile, or use chemical weapons, and emphasizing their adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

The materials reviewed by The Washington Post revealed more than one alleged route for obtaining chlorine, including drinking water treatment facilities and a shipment said to have entered Sudan through Egypt.

One account discusses the arrival of 20 chlorine tanks via Egypt, a quantity the correspondence said was theoretically sufficient to produce about 1,100 munitions.

At the same time, other recordings and materials indicate that cylinders were obtained from facilities designated for water treatment.

The documents highlight the Al-Manara water treatment station in Khartoum, one of the civilian facilities that received chlorine as part of international support to continue providing safe water to the population during the war.

In the report, UNICEF confirmed supplying chlorine to the Khartoum State Water Corporation between 2023 and 2025 for use in six stations, including Al-Manara.

However, it stated clearly that its records contain no evidence that any quantity it supplied was diverted or misused, and that any other use would constitute a breach of the aid conditions.

Investigators could not prove that the chlorine supplied by UNICEF is what ended up in the alleged munitions, and that the presence of the substance at a civilian station cannot be turned into an accusation against a humanitarian organization or proof of a diversion route.

According to The New York Times the SAF turned to chemical weapons early in 2024 to break a strategic stalemate, as RSF fighters held firm control over most of the capital, Khartoum.

Leaked records show that Brigadier General Tariq Hussein emerged as a central figure in July 2024, orchestrating the design, planning, and execution of the program.

Intercepted messages reveal that Hussein proposed using chlorine to give army forces a tactical edge in the battle for Khartoum. He distributed prototype schematics for an explosive warhead integrated with roughly 33 pounds of chlorine gas, with production commencing that same month.

Gaseous chlorine is a yellow-greenish gas that, when inhaled, is extremely toxic and harmful to the body. It is classified as a pulmonary irritant that burns conjunctiva, the throat and bronchial tree in humans.

It is simply a choking agent as it severely affects respiratory tract.