New Intelligence Dossier Substantiates Claims That Sudan's Army Used Chemical Weapons

New evidence has further substantiated US findings indicating that the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) utilized chemical weapons during the ongoing conflict in the country, according to recent reports by The New York Times and The Washington Post.

The reports cite a confidential dossier provided by an unnamed regional intelligence agency, which reveals that the SAF developed and produced chemical weapons over a six-month period two years ago. This new documentation reinforces earlier US claims that prompted the imposition of sanctions earlier this year.

While neither publication identified the Middle Eastern agency behind the dossier, The New York Times noted that the collection includes photographs, videos, documents, and intercepted communications. These records reportedly detail a secretive Sudanese military unit that manufactured chlorine-based munitions to deploy against the Rapid Support Forces, the paramilitary group currently engaged in a power struggle with the army.

Additionally, the dossier outlines an alleged attempt by the military to conceal the development and deployment of these chemical weapons following their discovery by the US. It also suggests that a portion of the chlorine utilized in bomb-making was sourced from a civilian water treatment center that originally received the chemicals from international aid groups.

In July, the US enacted sanctions against Sudan after concluding that its government employed chemical weapons in 2024 amid the conflict with the Rapid Support Forces. Intercepted communications, encompassing voice and text messages involving SAF general and commander-in-chief Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, strongly imply that he possessed direct knowledge of the chemical weapons program.

The deployment of chemical weapons constitutes a direct violation of international law and the chemical weapons convention—agreements to which Sudan is a party—leading to heightened international demands for accountability since these allegations first surfaced last year.

Although Sudan's military previously rejected the US allegations, Washington remains deeply concerned regarding the potential for further use of chemical weapons by the army. The Sudanese military did not issue an immediate response to the latest investigative reports by US news outlets.

General Al Burhan is scheduled to address the 81st session of the UN General Assembly later this month, though it remains uncertain how this newly surfaced evidence will influence the course of Sudan's ongoing civil war.