Without immediate and robust accountability, chemical weapons could be used again in Sudan, a newly published study by Veracity Papers warns, emphasizing that impunity threatens to normalize the use of banned substances in the ongoing conflict.

The research concludes that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), under the leadership of General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, used chlorine as a chemical weapon near the Al-Jaili refinery in September 2024. Relying on a joint investigation by France 24 and C4ADS, alongside a U.S. government assessment, the study confirms that the military dropped barrels containing chlorine during operations to retake the strategic site.

A central finding of the study is that the army’s leadership, including General al-Burhan as the commander of the armed forces, bears political and criminal responsibility for the conduct of the military institution. The report stresses that the internal nature of the conflict does not exempt the state from its obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention, nor does it alter the absolute prohibition against deploying toxic chemicals in warfare.

Highlighting the severe humanitarian consequences, the study notes that deploying a toxic substance near an industrial facility and civilian areas exposed workers and local populations to fatal respiratory risks, representing a dangerous escalation in the means of warfare.

To prevent the recurrence of such attacks, the study calls for urgent international action. It urges enabling the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to examine the available evidence, preserving material evidence and testimonies, and launching a thorough investigation into the military chain of command and issued orders. The report concludes that only by holding those responsible to account can the international community prevent the normalization of chemical warfare and protect civilians in conflict zones.