Eyewitness Account Sheds Light on Alleged Chemical Attack Amid Sudan's Devastating Civil War

In early September 2024, a 50-year-old car salesman travelling to Shindi, north of the Sudanese capital, encountered armed men assisting five distressed individuals lying on the ground. Speaking anonymously to avoid retaliation from security agencies aligned with the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), the man recounted seeing the fighters and the ailing men in the Al Jaili area of Bahri. This location lies within an army-controlled zone not far from positions held by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary group engaged in a brutal civil war against the SAF since October 2023.

Recalling the intense gunfire and explosions nearby, the witness approached the soldiers to offer assistance, only to be warned by them to get away as fast as possible. He observed a minibus without number plates arrive later to remove the five men, who were struggling to breathe. Although he did not know the cause at the time, he suspected they worked at the nearby Al Jaili oil refinery.

This witness account surfaces shortly after investigative dossiers published by The New York Times and The Washington Post revealed evidence that the SAF developed a secret chemical weapons operation and subsequently attempted to cover its tracks. Intercepted communications involving SAF chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan suggest his direct knowledge of the programme, which contributed to US sanctions imposed on Sudanese authorities.

The ongoing conflict in Sudan has resulted in tens of thousands of deaths, displaced over 10 million people, and triggered a severe humanitarian crisis. Reflecting on the incident, the witness noted that he learned days later about the severe contamination in the area, prompting him to avoid the location entirely ever since.