Accusations of the Sudanese army using chemical weapons have resurfaced after US sanctions linked to Washington's declaration that the army used such weapons took effect. This followed reports from community leaders and local residents in the area of "Umm Qarqaf" in North Kordofan state, who said that an Antonov aircraft belonging to the army dropped unfamiliar projectiles on Saturday, which released colors, smoke, and pungent odors upon hitting the ground.

These suspicions were reinforced after a video circulated showing members of the Rapid Support Forces speaking about the plane dropping projectiles that caused thick yellow smoke to rise, expressing their belief that they might contain chemical materials.

Hamed al-Radi, a native of the area, told Sky News Arabia that the plane first dropped projectiles that caused strong explosions and thick black smoke, before other projectiles fell that produced yellow smoke and a foul, pungent odor, according to testimonies from witnesses who were near the bombing site.

Al-Radi explained that the bombing occurred in an area that was uninhabited at the time of the attack, but he expressed concerns about potential repercussions for the population and the environment if it is confirmed that the projectiles contained chemical substances, calling for international investigations to determine their nature.

The incident comes days after a new package of US sanctions on the authority in Port Sudan took effect, as part of the second phase of procedures stipulated in the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act.

The sanctions followed the United States' official declaration, for the first time, that the Sudanese army used chemical weapons during 2024, in the context of the ongoing war since April 2023.

In the first reaction from an official in the "Peace Government" based in Nyala, Ezz el-Din al-Safi, head of the Humanitarian Access Authority in the government whose presidential council is chaired by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti), called for an urgent and independent international investigation into what he described as a "chemical attack" on the Umm Qarqaf area.

Al-Safi said that the circulated video clips indicate, in his words, the use of chemical weapons by the Sudanese army against civilians, calling on the United Nations and relevant international bodies to investigate immediately, provide medical and humanitarian assistance to affected communities, and hold accountable those responsible for any violations, stressing that the international community "should not remain silent."

The United States had escalated pressure on the Port Sudan authority during the 112th session of the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), held in The Hague from July 7 to 10 last year.

Related News

The US Ambassador to the OPCW, Nicole Shampaine, said in her statement before the council that the United States concluded that the Sudanese army used chemical weapons in 2024, and demanded that the Port Sudan authority fully disclose its related chemical activities, cooperate with international verification procedures, and comply with Sudan's obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Washington also questioned Sudan's eligibility to continue as a member of the OPCW Executive Council as long as it fails to comply with those obligations. This is the first time Washington has publicly called for Sudan to be subject to international verification procedures under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

The matter previously moved from the level of political accusations to the legal track within the OPCW, when Mauritania, Chad, Benin, and Guinea-Bissau, during June 2025, submitted formal requests to Sudan under paragraph 4 of Article IX of the Chemical Weapons Convention, requesting clarifications regarding the allegations of using chemical weapons during the war.

During the last session of the OPCW Executive Council, Britain called on the Port Sudan authority to fulfill Sudan's commitments and conduct a comprehensive investigation into these allegations, indicating that the file remains open within the OPCW and is being monitored by the states parties.

These developments indicate that the chemical weapons file is no longer just mutual accusations between the warring parties, but has become an issue on the agenda of the international community, in light of an official US declaration that the Sudanese army used chemical weapons, sanctions that have taken effect, and ongoing moves within the OPCW, which may make any new accusations subject to broader international scrutiny in the coming period.