SPLM-N condemns SAF’s continued use of Chemical Weapons

The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) stated that in light of the escalating serious violations committed by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in several regions of the country, particularly in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains, and the New Funj; the (SPLM-N) expresses its denunciation and condemnation of the Sudanese Army’s continued use of internationally prohibited chemical weapons, primarily Mustard Gas (Sulfur Mustard) and Lewisite, against unarmed civilians, in one of the most heinous crimes that amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity.

A Repeated and Internationally Condemned Crime

The (SPLM-N) added, “Amnesty International (AI) previously documented, in its famous (2016) report entitled ‘Scorched Earth, Poisoned Air,’ the Sudanese Army’s use of these weapons against civilians in Jebel Marra, where (32) chemical attacks were documented, claiming the lives of hundreds and leaving devastating environmental and health consequences. There are also numerous medical testimonies of the use of chemical weapons against civilians in the Nuba Mountains in (2014-2015).”

The statement continued, “Here we are today, following the outbreak of the ongoing war in (April 2023), facing similar crimes, compounded by deafening silence and complicity, even from those who were demanding justice in the past.”

The following has been documented:

– Photos and videos of chemical clouds in the areas of Jebel Moya, Dinder, Karari, and East of the Nile (Sharg Alneel).

– Laboratory analyses of samples containing arsenic, the active ingredient in Lewisite gas.

– Live testimonies of victims whose bodies collapsed without visible injuries, suffering from symptoms consistent with exposure to toxic chemicals.

– Secret medical reports confirming internal burns, lung erosion, and slow death from internal suffocation.

An explicit warning to the Port Sudan Government and the Sudanese Army:

In their statement, the (SPLM-N) held the Sudanese Army, the Port Sudan Authorities, and all complicit military and civilian leaders fully responsible for the use of these prohibited weapons, strongly warning against the repeated use in any part of Sudan, especially in the liberated areas.

It emphasized that the use of chemical weapons not only kills people, but also destroys the land, pollutes water, kills livestock, and devastates the environment for centuries to come. As its a crime that transcends politics to constitute a crime against life itself.

The (SPLM-N) Position and Measures:

The (SPLM-N) announced the immediate implementation of precautionary measures in the liberated areas, including: raising health and environmental awareness regarding the dangers of chemical weapons, providing protection for environmental monitoring and medical documentation teams, and providing information to international bodies specializing in collecting evidence of war crimes.

The statement went on to share that the Movement will begin the process of prosecuting all figures in the Port Sudan Authority and military leaders responsible for these crimes before international courts, whether they were directly responsible or complicit through maintaining their silence and covering-up the truth.

The Movement called on the international community, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and UN committees to launch an urgent and comprehensive investigation that encompasses all affected areas and hold the perpetrators accountable.

The (SPLM-N) warned the Sudanese Army and the Port Sudan Authority that any new use of these weapons would be met with full monitoring, accurate documentation, and relentless prosecution.

It stated that chemical weapons aren’t a tool for survival… rather, evidence of the conviction of a regime that knows no honor in litigation nor does it respect the sanctity of life. The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North renewed its full commitment to defending humanity, the land, and the environment, in addition to declaring that anyone whose hands are stained with these weapons will face justice sooner or later, in any legal arena.