The Hague, October 11, 2026 — The Sudanese army is once again facing mounting international pressure over allegations that it used chlorine-based chemical weapons in its war against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), as five nations formally pressed Sudan at the 113th session of the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), held in The Hague from 6 to 9 October 2026.
The United States, Germany, Australia, Finland, and Belgium all raised Sudan over the allegations during the Council session. The United Kingdom and the European Union also addressed the matter, with the EU noting that the Council had been seized of the issue under Article IX, paragraph 4 of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which allows member states to request that the Council obtain clarification from another member state.
Media Investigations Spark International Action
The diplomatic statements came a month after The New York Times and The Washington Post published separate investigations on 5 September reporting that the Sudanese army ran a secret programme to develop, test, and store chlorine-based munitions. According to The New York Times, the material included around 150 documents, photographs, video clips, and voice messages, as well as several thousand text messages taken from the phones of senior Sudanese officers. The newspaper reported that voice and text messages involving army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan suggest he had direct knowledge of the programme [1].
A Sudanese military spokesperson rejected the findings as “baseless and without material foundation” and threatened to sue The New York Times in a US court, according to Semafor. Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in July that Washington had presented no evidence for its allegations and that Sudan had repeatedly offered to host US experts for on-site verification.
Belgium Voices Concern
Belgium told the Council that Sudan’s answers so far did not match the seriousness of the allegations. Ambassador Wouter Detavernier, speaking in French on 7 October, said Belgium was concerned by allegations that the army had used chlorine bombs during the civil war and asked Sudan’s authorities for more information, according to the Belgian statement.
United States Imposes Sanctions and Warns of Council Action
The United States has gone further than the other four countries and imposed two rounds of sanctions on Sudan. The State Department determined on 24 April 2025 that Sudan’s government had used chemical weapons in 2024, announcing the finding on 22 May 2025. Washington imposed the first sanctions — restricting US exports and Sudan’s access to US government credit — on 27 June 2025. A second round, which took effect on 20 July 2026, added US opposition to multilateral development bank loans to Sudan, further export restrictions, and the suspension of air carrier authority linked to Sudan, according to the Federal Register.
At the Council’s 112th session in July, US Ambassador Nicole Shampaine said Sudan should give the OPCW Technical Secretariat “unhindered, transparent access” and that its national investigative committee could not replace independent verification, according to the Arms Control Association. This week, Shampaine told the Council it must confront Sudan’s continued non-compliance tied to its 2024 use of chemical weapons. She asked regional groups and States Parties to “reject as candidates for this Council those States Parties that remain in noncompliance,” according to the US statement.
Sudan currently holds a seat on the 41-member Council, according to The Standard. In March, the United States warned it would revisit its approach to Sudan’s seat if the matter was not resolved swiftly. Council members are elected by the Conference of the States Parties, which next meets from 23 to 27 November 2026, according to the OPCW calendar.
Germany Points to an Undeclared Programme
Germany’s ambassador, Gudrun Lingner, said new media reporting suggested the 2024 use might have been more than a single incident. “Indications pointing at an undeclared chemical weapons programme have been published,” Lingner said, according to the German statement. Germany called on Sudan’s government to finish a thorough national investigation, publish it swiftly, and cooperate fully and transparently with the OPCW.
Australia Focuses on Storage and Use
Australian Ambassador Gregory French said Australia had noted with alarm media reports that the Sudanese Armed Forces had stockpiled and used chemical weapons. He said Sudan had shared an interim report from its national investigation and called on Sudan to give “a genuine and transparent account of any non-compliance with the Convention,” according to the Australian statement.
Finland Seeks Prompt Answers
Finland repeated its serious concern about the allegations and said Sudan’s authorities must address them “in a prompt, objective, and transparent manner,” according to its statement. Finland welcomed the Technical Secretariat’s confirmation that it will monitor the situation.
Paris Integration Forum Advocates for Investigation
The Paris Integration Forum has been a consistent advocate for investigating the use of chemical weapons in Sudan, having raised this issue at its Geneva conference held on the sidelines of the UN 63rd Human Rights Council Session. The Forum has called for independent, transparent, and internationally supervised investigations into the allegations, urging the international community to hold accountable those responsible for any confirmed use of prohibited weapons. Its advocacy in Geneva underscored the urgency of the matter and helped maintain international attention on the crisis ahead of the OPCW Council’s deliberations in The Hague.
References:
- The New York Times and The Washington Post, “Separate investigations into Sudanese army’s secret chemical weapons programme,” 5 September 2026.
- Arms Control Association, “US Ambassador Nicole Shampaine statement at OPCW 112th session,” July 2026.
OPCW Executive Council, “113th Session proceedings and Conference of the States Parties calendar,” The Hague, 6–9 October 2026.