Accusations of the Sudanese army using chemical weapons have resurfaced, after US sanctions linked to Washington's declaration that the army used such weapons came into effect, following statements by local leaders and residents of the 'Umm Qarfa' area in North Kordofan state that an Antonov aircraft belonging to the army dropped unfamiliar projectiles on Saturday, from which colors, smoke, and pungent odors rose upon impact with the ground.

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

Hamed al-Radi, a native of the area, told Sky News Arabia that the plane initially dropped projectiles that caused strong explosions and thick black smoke, before other projectiles fell resulting in yellow smoke and a foul, pungent odor, according to witness accounts near the bombing site.

Al-Radi explained that the bombing occurred in an area that was uninhabited at the time of the attack, but expressed concerns about potential repercussions for residents and the environment if the projectiles are confirmed to contain 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 came into effect, as part of the second phase of measures stipulated in the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act.

The sanctions followed the United States officially declaring 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, Izz al-Din al-Safi, head of the Humanitarian Access Authority in the government 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 Qarfa 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 immediately investigate, provide medical and humanitarian aid to affected communities, and hold those responsible for any violations accountable, stressing that the international community 'should not remain silent'.

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

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US Ambassador to the OPCW, Nicole Shampine, 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 measures, and comply with Sudan's obligations under the Chemical Weapons Convention. Washington also questioned Sudan's eligibility to continue as a member of the organization's 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 file had previously moved from the level of political accusations to the legal track within the OPCW, when Mauritania, Chad, Benin, and Guinea-Bissau, in June 2025, submitted official requests to Sudan under paragraph 4 of Article 9 of the Chemical Weapons Convention, requesting clarifications regarding allegations of chemical weapon use during the war.

Britain, during the last session of the OPCW Executive Council, 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 followed up by states parties.

These developments indicate that the chemical weapons file is no longer just mutual accusations between warring parties, but has become an issue on the international community's agenda, 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 subject any new accusations to broader international scrutiny in the coming period.