A new investigation links Sudan Army to Chlorine chemical attacks

A new investigation by the FRANCE 24 Observers unit has uncovered evidence that chlorine — normally used to disinfect water — was instead deployed as a chemical weapon during Sudan’s ongoing conflict, with indications pointing to the country’s armed forces. According to the investigation, containers filled with chlorine “were dropped from the air on September 5 and 13, 2024, near a major oil refinery north of Khartoum.” At the time, government troops were attempting to retake the facility from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

Using open-source investigation methods, the Observers team authenticated videos and photos of the incidents. Five independent specialists who reviewed the material said the visuals matched the characteristics of chlorine-filled barrels dropped from aircraft. Since the Sudanese military is the only party in the conflict with an air fleet capable of such operations, investigators say the evidence strongly implicates the army.

The inquiry also retraces the supply chain behind the chlorine. Documents examined by the team show the chemical originated from Chemtrade International Corporation, an exporter based in India, which stated “the shipments were solely for water-treatment use.” The imports were handled inside Sudan by Ports Engineering Company, a firm that publicly presents itself as working in construction and water-sector projects.

However, investigators found no sign that the shipments were destined for Sudan’s water-purification facilities. Data obtained from the U.S. nonprofit C4ADS links Ports Engineering to the import of military-related goods as well as business ties with an Emirati supplier of uniforms and boots for Sudan’s intelligence services. Commercial records also indicate that Chemtrade has sent at least 125 chlorine cylinders to Sudan since the outbreak of the war.

Early this year, the New York Times, citing American officials, reported Sudan’s military reportedly used chemical weapons on at least two occasions against the RSF. According to the senior U.S. officials, the attacks occurred in remote areas but at that time they raised concerns that such weapons could soon be deployed in densely populated areas. At the time details about the chemical weapons use remained little known, known only to a small circle within Sudan’s military, but U.S. officials confirmed that Al-Burhan personally authorized their use. On April 24, 2025, the United States determined that Sudan used chemical weapons in 2024, violating the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC). This finding triggered sanctions against Sudanese military leadership.

The latest findings come at a time when the country is descending into an ever-worsening crisis and a humanitarian situation that is spiraling out of control. The atrocities that have been reported remain at unprecedented levels, including summary executions and human rights violations such as sexual violence.

This week, the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network reported that it has verified at least 52 cases of rape and gang rape in the first 10 days after the RSF seized El Fasher on October 26. “Most of these crimes were committed on October 27 alone, as women and girls attempted to flee the city through Shagra, Garni, Tura villages, and Al Amal Gate,” SIHA said in a statement. “The cases we documented represent only a fraction of the considerable and widespread atrocities committed.”

Survivors include girls as young as 14 and women up to 45 years old. SIHA described the violations as evidence of sexual violence being used systematically as a weapon of war. “These violations explicitly illustrate the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war, deployed to terrorize and dismantle indigenous African communities in the Darfur region,” the group said.