An independent investigation led by former senior officials of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) has uncovered evidence that the Sudanese government may have deployed toxic chemicals during the country's ongoing civil conflict. The 32-page report, reviewed by European Pulse, details witness accounts and physical indicators consistent with chemical exposure between 2024 and 2025.
The two former OPCW officials, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the findings, told European Pulse: "Given that at least one State Party has sanctioned individuals in relation to the alleged use of chemical weapons, that there are new and increasing allegations of a hidden programme, and that there is strong witness testimony indicating that there was an incident in September 2024 that may have involved chlorine, the OPCW and its States Parties need to launch an investigation."
The report draws on testimony from eight Sudanese witnesses, interviewed in Nairobi, Kenya. They described a pattern of aerial attacks followed by acute respiratory symptoms, unusual odours, and coloured airborne emissions. The most compelling evidence came from two witnesses who were present at the Al-Jili Oil Refinery near Khartoum in September 2024, an area then under the control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary group sanctioned by the EU and the US for human rights abuses.
Both witnesses independently described a military aircraft flying overhead, followed by barrel-shaped objects that did not explode like conventional munitions. They reported a strange smell, a coloured cloud, and about twenty workers developing acute breathing difficulties and eye irritation. The report notes that these symptoms are consistent with exposure to an airborne irritant or hazardous chemical, though the exact substance could not be identified. Vegetation near the impact site reportedly changed colour in the following weeks.
Other witnesses described similar incidents across different locations, with recurring reports of coughing, difficulty breathing, eye irritation, and in some cases gastrointestinal or skin problems. The absence of the usual blast effects of conventional bombs, combined with the rapid onset of symptoms, led the experts to conclude that the evidence is credible and consistent with possible chemical weapons use.
Call for international action
The investigation adds a human dimension to earlier reports from the New York Times and the Washington Post, which cited Middle Eastern intelligence suggesting a hidden chemical weapons programme. In April 2025, the United States imposed sanctions on Sudan in response to these allegations. The Sudanese government has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing.
The former OPCW officials stress that their findings are preliminary and that gaps remain. They have formally called on the OPCW to consider the evidence and pursue a full investigation. The OPCW, which won the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize for its work enforcing the global ban on chemical weapons, has not yet commented on the report.
The conflict in Sudan, which began in 2023, has displaced over 14 million people, according to UN data from April 2026. It has also triggered one of the world's worst hunger crises, with nearly 19.5 million people facing acute food insecurity and famine conditions. The possible use of chemical weapons would mark a grave escalation in a war already marked by atrocities.
European governments, which have imposed sanctions on both the Sudanese army and the RSF, are likely to face renewed pressure to push for an international investigation. The EU has previously supported OPCW efforts to verify chemical weapons use in other conflicts, such as in Syria. The findings come at a time when global attention is focused on the humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan, and the international community must decide whether to act on these serious allegations.
