Banjul condemns the Sudanese Army’s use of chemical weapons

The NGO Forum at the 85th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, held in Banjul on Saturday, October 19th, adopted a resolution condemning the Port Sudan Authority and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), confirming their use of internationally prohibited chemical weapons during the country’s ongoing civil war.

Previously, the United States publicly announced that it had managed to obtain credible information confirming the Sudanese Army’s use of internationally prohibited chemical weapons during (2024). Therefore, the US promptly imposed sanctions on the Port Sudan Authority, including restrictions on US exports to Sudan and limits on financial borrowing, the aforementioned came into effect last June 6th, according to Tammy Bruce, the US State Department spokesperson’s statement. 

Banjul Resolution

The Banjul NGO Forum adopted an unprecedented resolution issued in regards to the Sudanese Army’s confirmed use of internationally prohibited chemical weapons, following a series of extensive discussions, despite limited attempts by some parties aligned with the Port Sudan Authority and the military regime to obstruct and delay the resolution.

Furthermore, The resolution was formally approved by the committee responsible for decisions within the Forum, paving the way for its submission to the 85th Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on behalf of the Forum, as a collective position of African civil society organizations against the grave violations committed in the Sudanese war, most notably of which is the use of internationally prohibited chemical weapons.

What did the resolution stipulate?

The resolution affirmed that the Sudanese Army had violated the Chemical Weapons Convention, to which it is a party, and that it is legally obligated to refrain from developing, producing, or using such weapons.

In addition, the resolution was based on the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and international agreements related to the prohibition of chemical weapons. As the Forum expressed its deep concern over reports confirming the use of chemical weapons in Khartoum, Al-Jazeera, Sennar, and Darfur states.

The resolution deemed the Sudanese Foreign Ministry’s statement issued on (July 10th, 2025), rejecting accusations of chemical weapons use “insufficient and does not include practical measures to investigate the allegations or to permit independent monitoring mechanisms,” which, as the resolution stresses, “necessitates concrete steps to ensure transparency and accountability.”

The resolution represents a new victory for civil society and human rights organizations seeking to prevent the occurrence of the grave violations committed during the Sudanese war, to open the door to international resolutions and actions aiming to protect civilians as well as prevent the recurrence of the use of internationally prohibited weapons.