The Sudanese Alliance for Rights welcomes the investigative documentary “Sudan… The Hidden Use of Chemical Weapons in the War” recently released by Sky News Arabia, which examines serious allegations concerning the use of chemical weapons in the ongoing conflict in Sudan.
The documentary presents an in-depth investigation drawing on survivor testimonies, medical observations, visual material, and expert analysis to shed light on incidents in which civilians reportedly experienced symptoms consistent with exposure to chemical agents. It further situates these accounts within the broader context of the conflict, highlighting the severe constraints on access, documentation, and verification in conflict-affected areas, particularly in Darfur.
By amplifying the voices of affected communities and consolidating available information, the documentary contributes meaningfully to ongoing efforts by Sudanese and international human rights actors to draw attention to these grave allegations. It reinforces concerns previously raised by the Sudanese Alliance for Rights in its formal communications to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights andthe International Criminal Court (ICC), submitted in 2025. In these communications, the Alliance called for independent and impartial investigations into alleged chemical weapons use and underscored the severe risks posed to civilian populations.
The Sudanese Alliance for Rights notes that this documentary adds to a growing body of reporting, documentation, and advocacy that places sustained pressure on international and regional accountability mechanisms to act in accordance with their mandates. In this regard, the Alliance recalls Article 15 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which enables the Prosecutor to initiate investigations on the basis of information received from a range of sources, including civil society organisations. Media investigations and civil society documentation are therefore essential components of efforts to advance accountability for serious international crimes.
We commend investigative journalism that advances truth-seeking and accountability at a time when independent monitoring and reporting from Sudan remain severely restricted. The absolute prohibition on the use of chemical weapons under international humanitarian law and the Chemical Weapons Convention, to which Sudan is a State Party, must be upheld without exception.
We reiterate our call for independent, impartial, and thorough investigations into all allegations of serious violations committed during the conflict, including the alleged use of chemical weapons. We urge the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Criminal Court, and relevant United Nations mechanisms to take these findings seriously and to take concrete steps, within their respective mandates, to establish the facts and ensure accountability where violations are confirmed.
