The NGO Forum held alongside the 85th Session of the African
Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has confirmed that the Sudanese army
violated the Chemical Weapons Convention, which bans the use, production, and
transfer of chemical weapons.
The Forum said the army, operating under the Port Sudan
authority, used chemical weapons during the civil war that began in April 2023.
Sudan, a signatory to the Convention since 1992, is legally
bound to destroy any chemical weapons and production facilities it possesses.
According to the resolution adopted in Banjul, the Sudanese
army led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan breached its international
obligations.
The Forum based its findings on reports confirming the use
of chemical weapons in Khartoum, Al-Jazirah, Sennar, and Darfur states.
The resolution also criticized the statement issued by
Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in July 2025, which denied the allegations.
The Forum described the denial as “insufficient,” saying it
lacked measures for investigation and independent oversight.
It called for transparency and accountability in addressing
the violations.
The decision, adopted by the Forum’s internal committee,
represents a unified position of African civil society groups against the grave
abuses committed during Sudan’s war.
It will be presented to the African Commission on Human and
Peoples’ Rights for consideration.
International reactions have also been strong. In May 2025,
the United States announced that Sudan’s army had used chemical weapons during
2024.
Washington imposed sanctions on the Port Sudan authority,
restricting US exports and limiting Sudan’s access to financial borrowing from
June 6.
Human Rights Watch later confirmed in October that the
Sudanese Armed Forces used chlorine gas, which is banned under the Chemical
Weapons Convention.
The organization said the act amounts to a war crime under
the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and urged global action.
The Banjul Forum’s resolution is seen as a major step in
pushing for accountability for war crimes and reinforcing the global ban on
chemical weapons.
