There is “every reason to believe” that chemical weapons have been used in Sudan, former war crime inspectors have said.
Leading experts on Tuesday called for an international investigation into an alleged chlorine attack at an oil refinery north of Khartoum.
Mark Albon, former head of the UN Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons' investigation unit in Syria, said an independent investigation should examine media coverage and video material, and interview people allegedly exposed to the attacks.
“It’s clear to us, as investigators who have looked at this, that there is every reason to believe that a chemical weapons attack, at least one, has taken place,” Mr Albon told a panel titled Accusations about the Use of Chemical Weapons in Sudan.
He identified an attack in September 2024 at Al-Jaili refinery, north of Khartoum, as the incident where the evidence was strongest.
“The only incident that we were able to identify where there is a strong indication that a weapon that would conform to the framework of a chemical weapon was used was in September of 2024 at the Al-Jaili refinery site,” Mr Albon told the Geneva Press Club online panel.
The material gave investigators “a very strong circumstantial case” that a chemical weapon had been used, said the former OPCW director for international co-operation.
Access to scene
However, Mr Albon emphasised that the passage of time and lack of access to the site meant it was not possible to establish what chemical or combination of chemicals had been used. He did not rule out other attacks having occurred.
Mr Albon said an international investigation by the OPCW, the UN, or both should now be launched, with access to the site and the ability to carry out forensic examinations.
“I think the fact that those investigations were undertaken in a place like Syria … although it took a very long time, ultimately contributed to bringing that conflict to an end,” he added.
“I would hope that a similar investigation in Sudan would provide a similar impetus to bringing the parties to a point where a settlement and a peace can be found.”
Sudan has been engulfed in civil war since April 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The conflict has devastated the country, displaced about 14 million people and left tens of millions dependent on humanitarian assistance.
The US has already determined that the SAF government used chemical weapons in 2024 and imposed sanctions, although Sudan has denied the allegations. Subsequent reporting in the international media, including a Washington Post investigation this month, has given impetus for a full OPCW inquiry.
Copycat fears
There was also an argument that if no action were taken there could be “copycat” attacks in future conflicts in the region.
“The mechanism and the methodology and the process of building and creating and using an improvised chemical weapon of this nature is now unfortunately relatively well known,” said Mr Albon.
This would make it easier for others in global conflicts “to simply follow suit”.
“If you want to call what has allegedly happened in Sudan a copycat of what has happened in Syria, then yes, I think that’s probably an accurate statement,” he added. “Unfortunately, it opens the door to similar copycat activities happening elsewhere in the world.”
Robert Fairweather, a former chief of cabinet at the OPCW, warned that if Chemical Weapons Convention were allowed to “slip”, then others would “believe they can get away with this, others will use it as we saw in Syria”. Mr Fairweather, is also a former UK special representative for Sudan and South Sudan.
“We should not allow it to be hidden away and the people of Sudan should be offered the same protections that everyone else in the world is, and that includes against chemical weapons,” he said.
The Sudan allegations warranted the same forensic scrutiny as Syria, he said.
Investigators would also need to establish responsibility to “individuals or institutions” for the decision to use chemical weapons before the international community could determine an appropriate response or sanctions.
