Hard evidence emerges of chemical weapons attacks in Sudan
The U.S. State Department announced in May 2025 that the Sudanese army had used chemical weapons in the current war. This announcement came with no details about which chemical agents were used by the army, or where and at what scale, except that such weapons were deployed in 2024.
Sudan is home to the world largest humanitarian emergency, sparked by one of the worst armed conflicts in modern history. Fighting between the army and Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a rogue paramilitary force wielding tremendous firepower, has left Khartoum in ruins. In the oppressed western Darfur region, entire communities are being annihilated by the RSF. Villages are burning, crops are rotting in the fields, and families are fleeing with nothing but the clothes on their backs. And it’s hardly ever in the news.
Sudan Crisis Guide
Trying to make sense of the war in Sudan? We’ll get you up to speed in a few minutes.
Rumors of chemical weapons being deployed in Sudan have persisted throughout this war, as well as for decades before. The United States bombed an industrial plant in Khartoum in 1998 that it said was processing a VX nerve agent, a claim that came under serious question in the aftermath.
A substantial 2016 investigation by Amnesty International found credible evidence that chemical weapons had been used to kill and maim hundreds of Sudanese in Darfur, including children. Anecdotal accounts have leaked out of the oppressed Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile regions for years as well, often with fleeing refugees who saw strange, gaseous munitions explode.
Now a new investigation by France 24’s Observers team provides the first public evidence to corroborate the State Department’s allegations, indicating that Sudan’s army likely used chlorine gas in September 2024:
Using open-source investigation techniques (OSINT), the FRANCE 24 Observers team in Paris examined two incidents in September 2024 in and near the al-Jaili oil refinery, north of Khartoum, which the army was attempting to recapture from the RSF. After reviewing images of the attacks gathered by the Observers, five experts confirmed they were consistent with aerial drops of chlorine barrels. Only the Sudanese army possesses the aircraft needed for such bombardments.
The Observers team also traced the origin of one of the chlorine barrels used in the attacks. Imported from India by a Sudanese company that provides supplies to the Sudanese army, the chlorine was intended, according to the Indian exporter, “solely for treatment of drinking water”. Chlorine is a much-needed humanitarian product in Sudan, critical for purifying water in a country prone to cholera outbreaks.
The military use of chlorine would place Sudan among the few regimes to have deployed this rudimentary lethal gas since World War I, during which it was used on a large scale.
What is chlorine gas?
According to Physicians for Human Rights, chlorine gas is a pulmonary irritant with intermediate water solubility that causes acute damage in the upper and lower respiratory tract. At room temperature, it is a dense, yellow-green gas that settles along the ground. Chlorine gas causes oral, nasal, and ocular discomfort that serves as a warning property to get out of the area of exposure and limit pulmonary damage, which may occur with prolonged exposure. Chlorine gas turns to hydrochloric acid when it makes contact with moisture in airways; it then causes chemical burns to all respiratory tissue it contacts.
Screengrab from a video posted to a pro-RSF account in May 2025 and geolocated to the Barri military base, shows a yellow-green cloud characteristic of chlorine.
Exposure to chlorine gas can lead to diverse symptoms that are as mild as itchiness to shortness of breath to as severe as death. In the France 24 report, chemical weapons specialist Dan Kaszeta said of these specific attacks in Sudan:
“The symptoms of chlorine gas exposure are relatively generic, with few clearly identifiable signs. In reality, it is very difficult to kill someone with this gas when it is dispersed in the open air, in this way. It is mostly used as a strong irritant, to force opponents out of shelters and make them vulnerable to conventional bombardment.”
From another part of the France 24 report:
The Observers spoke with a former engineer who was inside the refinery on September 13, along with many other workers. For his safety, his name has been withheld. Now living abroad, he provided evidence of his employment at the al-Jaili refinery, as well as screenshots showing that he had reported the incident to contacts on the morning of September 13. By phone, he said:
“It was early, around 8am. I was in my room, where we were housed. I heard a plane coming, and then there was a huge noise, like something falling. I went outside with two friends, and I saw a lot of smoke. Luckily I wasn’t near the zone. After 30 minutes, we went to see the place where the projectiles had fallen. The people near them were unconscious, or having trouble breathing, and coughing. We helped them, with the security staff, and took them to the refinery’s clinic.”
The engineer’s account is consistent with the images and witness statements posted online. He also said that some of the victims died after the incident. The Observers team was unable to confirm this allegation, and no other sources mention any deaths in connection with the two incidents.
Weaponized chlorine is prohibited under the Chemical Weapons Convention, to which Sudan is a member. The use of “asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases” on battlefields is also classified as a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Confirming army responsibility
While no images of army aircraft dropping chlorine barrels has emerged, just the immediate aftermath, it is well known that the army is the only force inside Sudan with the aerial capacity to drop chlorine barrels of this size.
The RSF only has drones for aerial bombing, which are not capable of carrying barrels this heavy. Cargo planes have been spotted in RSF-held areas of Sudan, especially at Nyala airport in South Darfur, but it is generally known these planes are delivering weapons to the RSF, likely from the United Arab Emirates. No documentation, imagery, or eyewitness accounts exist of the RSF conducting airstrikes with planes or helicopters. Sudan’s other smaller rebel, paramilitary, and militia groups have little to no air capacity at all.
That leaves the army. It’s also worth noting at the reported time of these likely chlorine attacks, the army had been battling to recapture the al-Jaili facility from the RSF for months. Although chlorine gas has rarely been deployed since WWI, its use as a weapon to try to “flush out” entrenched combatants matches the army’s combat objectives at the time. The army has repeatedly denied
What does all this mean for Sudan’s present situation? The widespread and heavy use of conventional munitions in areas of combat shows the war will continue with or without chemical weapons and continue to be immensely destructive. Still, the use of chemical weapons is just the latest reminder that, even with how bad the situation in Sudan already is, things can still get much worse. Reductions of violence and more humanitarian aid in any and all forms can save many lives, even if the war itself continues.
How you can help
Our free global event turns everyday runs, bike rides, and walks into lifesaving support. Every mile you put in and dollar you raise helps fund emergency aid and long-term education programs led by Sudanese heroes. Not a fan of fitness? We have an option where you can skip the moving and just fundraise. Every dollar raised still makes a difference. Donations are being matched for a limited time!
Checks can be made payable to Operation Broken Silence and mailed to PO Box 770900 Memphis, TN 38177-0900. You can also donate stock or crypto. Operation Broken Silence a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Our EIN is 80-0671198.
Shareables
Short statements you can share online and with others. Simply copy and paste.
Share Our Posts: Instagram | Facebook | Threads | Bluesky | Reddit | LinkedIn
A new investigation provides the first public evidence of chemical weapons usage on Sudan’s battlefields, indicating the national army likely used chlorine gas in September 2024. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/hard-evidence-emerges-of-chemical-weapons-attacks-in-sudan
Rumors of chemical weapons being deployed in Sudan have persisted throughout this war, as well as for decades before. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/hard-evidence-emerges-of-chemical-weapons-attacks-in-sudan
The military use of chlorine would place Sudan among the few regimes to have deployed this rudimentary lethal gas since World War I, during which it was used on a large scale. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/hard-evidence-emerges-of-chemical-weapons-attacks-in-sudan
While no images of army aircraft dropping chlorine barrels has emerged, just the immediate aftermath, it is well known that the army is the only force inside Sudan with the aerial capacity to drop chlorine barrels of this size. https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/hard-evidence-emerges-of-chemical-weapons-attacks-in-sudan
Operation Broken Silence is dedicated to Sudanese communities, cultivating resilience and driving meaningful change through crowdfunded programs. Will you join us? https://operationbrokensilence.org/blog/hard-evidence-emerges-of-chemical-weapons-attacks-in-sudan
