UN Prepared to Investigate Alleged Chemical Weapons Use Amid Escalating Sudan Conflict

The UN is preparing to investigate the Sudanese Armed Forces' chemical weapons programme and strongly supports efforts to halt the flow of weapons into Sudan, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, revealed in an interview ahead of the General Assembly's high-level debate in New York.

The UN stands ready to deploy a fact-finding mission to probe the alleged use of chemical weapons in Sudan's devastating civil war. This development coincides with a US push to expand the existing arms embargo from Darfur to cover the entirety of Sudan, a proposal that the UN fully endorses.

As world leaders gather in New York—with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva opening the debate followed by US President Donald Trump—Middle Eastern crises, including conflicts in Sudan, Yemen, Iran, Gaza, and Lebanon, are expected to dominate discussions. Mr Dujarric emphasized the urgent need for de-escalation, reiterating that these multifaceted conflicts have no military solution.

The conflict in Sudan, pitting the SAF against the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), has ravaged the nation of 50 million people and crippled its economy. SAF leader Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan has insisted on pursuing the fight until the RSF is defeated, dismissing international ceasefire efforts. Amid mounting evidence of war crimes and foreign-supplied weapons utilized by both factions, the UN Security Council has given members one month to weigh the US arms embargo expansion.

"The Sudanese people don't need more bombs. The Sudanese people don't need more drones. The Sudanese people need peace and they need our help," Mr Dujarric stated, condemning the resurgence of chemical weapons use in the 21st century as abhorrent.

Furthermore, the conflict has drawn in regional actors, with Yemen's Houthis reportedly coordinating with the SAF to smuggle weapons into the Horn of Africa. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is also scheduled to address the UN General Assembly as international diplomacy seeks to address maritime disruptions and regional instability.

Discussions will additionally tackle the future of the Unifil peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, whose mandate concludes this year. Despite US criticisms of the mission, Mr Dujarric staunchly defended the peacekeepers, praising the bravery of personnel putting their lives on the line to defend the Lebanese people.