SAF… A Bloody record of using Chemical Weapons against the Sudanese people
Since the Sudanese State was founded, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) has remained a tool of oppression and violence in the hands of a selected elite, used to impose political, economic, and social hegemony at the expense of Sudan’s ethnic and cultural diversity.
Following the escalation of internal wars due to the centralized control and the deepening gap between a dominant center and the alienated marginalized regions, this Army, dominated by a specific social group, didn’t hesitate to utilize the most brutal of means to suppress the Sudanese people, these means included -but weren’t limited to; the use of internationally prohibited chemical weapons, in an act of flagrant violation of all humanitarian and legal norms.
Nuba Mountains in (2014): Preparations for Genocide
In (2014), the renowned American researcher Eric Reeves revealed reliable information indicating that the Sudanese Armed Forces were preparing to use chemical weapons in the Delami area of South Kordofan, one of the most significant regions of the Nuba Mountains. This region was -and remains to be- a stronghold of resistance to political and military marginalization. The aforementioned preparations were part of a campaign aimed at crushing the rebellion with full force, including the use of weapons of mass destruction.
Jebel Marra in (2016): Testimonies from Hell
In (2016), Amnesty International (AI) released a shocking report documenting the Sudanese military’s use of chemical weapons in (30) attacks throughout the year in the Jebel Marra region of Darfur. The report was based on satellite imagery and horrific eyewitness accounts, which reported that victims suffered symptoms consistent with exposure to chemical agents, such as Mustard Gas (Sulfur Mustard). These attacks claimed the lives of approximately (250 civilians), amongst whom were dozens of children, in one of the most heinous crimes that has gone unpunished to this very day.
(2024): The Catastrophe is Repeated in Khartoum and Other Regions
The series of continuous chemical crimes against humanity didn’t stop in Darfur or the Nuba Mountains. A UN report issued in (April 2025) documented the Sudanese military’s use of chemical weapons in attacks on remote civilian areas after the Sudanese Army managed to regain control of some neighborhoods of the capital, Khartoum, from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Unfortunately, the violations weren’t limited to the use of poison gases; they also included the deliberate destruction of humanitarian infrastructure (civilian objects), including hospitals and schools, as part of a blatant attempt to terrorize and collectively punish the population.
A Delayed US Response: Imposing Sanctions on the Regime
In (May 2025), the US government announced new sanctions on Sudan after confirming that the Sudanese Army had indeed used chemical weapons, including Chlorine Gas, against civilians in (2024). The sanctions include economic and trade restrictions, however, so far, they remain below the level required to hold those responsible for the crimes accountable.
A War of Ethnic Cleansing Under Official Cover
Furthermore, the repeated use of chemical weapons isn’t the only aspect in common between the past and the present, the aforementioned extends to encompass the political and social context in which the Sudanese Army is deployed: An Army that fails to represent the nation, but rather serves as a tool for the Islamic Movement and specific ethnic groups to subjugate the resisting Sudanese people in marginalized regions.
Chemical weapons weren’t used in conventional battles, but rather against civilians, in remote villages, against children and women, in crimes that amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The international community is called upon not only to condemn, but also to launch a comprehensive and independent investigation, to refer those responsible to international courts. The Sudanese people don’t deserve to suffer any more whilst the world continues to remain silent in regards to this genocide.
