Federation of Sudanese Human Rights Organisations
Human Rights Groups Condemn Sudanese Army’s Use of Chemical Weapons and Urge Urgent International Investigation and Accountability
Palais des Nations, Geneva – 16-September 2025
During the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Sudanese and international human rights organizations issued a joint statement under Agenda Item 2, warning that the Sudanese Armed Forces and allied militias have deployed chemical and internationally banned weapons against civilians in multiple regions of Sudan. The organizations stressed that these acts constitute grave breaches of international humanitarian law and pose a direct threat to international peace and security.
Damning International Reports
The statement cited findings by leading international organizations such as Human Rights Watch, Physicians for Human Rights, and the International Rescue Committee, in addition to field documentation by Sudanese monitoring groups and reports from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. These sources confirmed that the Sudanese army used toxic chemical agents and prohibited gases in Darfur, Kordofan, and Al-Jazira. Attacks on cities including El Fasher, Zalingei, and Nyala reportedly caused mass fatalities and injuries, with victims displaying severe symptoms such as suffocation, skin burns, temporary paralysis, and nervous system damage.
Systematic Use of Prohibited Weapons
The statement emphasized that the use of chemical agents was accompanied by the army’s reliance on cluster munitions and incendiary weapons, in blatant violation of Sudan’s international obligations. It added that these violations were not isolated incidents but part of a systematic military policy designed to terrorize populations, dismantle local communities, and force mass displacement.
Growing International Condemnations
The statement noted that several UN bodies and Western governments have expressed deep concern over these atrocities. Among them were the United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and the International Commission of Inquiry on Sudan. Governments including Germany, France, and Canada also issued official statements condemning the use of banned weapons and calling for investigation and accountability.
Catastrophic Humanitarian Impact
According to the organizations, these attacks have displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians, collapsed healthcare systems, and triggered widespread disease due to environmental contamination. The targeting of markets, hospitals, and essential infrastructure has further compounded civilian suffering and created long-term risks to public health and food security.
Calls for Urgent Action
The human rights groups urged the Human Rights Council to adopt a clear resolution condemning these violations and to establish an independent investigative mechanism to gather and preserve evidence. They also called on the Council to elevate the case to the UN Security Council with a recommendation for referral to the International Criminal Court to ensure accountability for military leaders responsible.
The statement further demanded targeted sanctions against perpetrators, the establishment of safe humanitarian corridors to enable access to medical and psychological care for victims, and direct support for Sudanese NGOs documenting violations on the ground.
Comprehensive Arms Embargo
The organizations stressed the need for the international community to impose a comprehensive arms embargo on the Sudanese army, arguing that the continued flow of weapons only fuels the conflict and enables further atrocities against civilians.
A Test of the Council’s Credibility
Concluding their statement, the organizations warned that the continued use of chemical and prohibited weapons in Sudan sets a dangerous precedent that threatens the global regime banning such arms. They emphasized that silence or hesitation by the international community would amount to complicity and embolden perpetrators to persist in their crimes. The statement urged the Human Rights Council to act decisively and without delay to ensure justice and redress for victims, stressing that accountability is the only path to ending these atrocities and protecting Sudan’s future.