The Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) face mounting international pressure and scrutiny following investigative reports published by The New York Times and The Washington Post detailing an alleged military program to produce and deploy chemical weapons. According to the investigations, which cite approximately 150 leaked intelligence documents, intercepted communications, and text messages, the SAF established a program in 2024 to manufacture chlorine-based munitions for use against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) during the ongoing civil conflict.
Intelligence Documents Reveal Chlorine Munition Development
Leaked military records indicate that the SAF initiated a chlorine weapon program in early 2024 to break a strategic stalemate in Khartoum, where RSF militias held significant territory. According to The New York Times, Brigadier General Tariq Hussein proposed utilizing chlorine gas to gain a tactical advantage in the battle for the capital, distributing prototype schematics for an explosive warhead integrated with roughly 15 kilograms of chlorine gas. On July 22, an Antonov cargo plane took off from Merowe airport, located approximately 320 kilometers north of Khartoum, to conduct a test drop. General Hussein subsequently reported to colleagues that the test was a “success del 100%”, attaching video footage of a desert explosion showing the munition releasing gas upon impact.
Technical Flaws and Procurement from Civilian Infrastructure
Internal communications cited in the investigations reveal that the weapons program faced severe technical hurdles, including recurring chemical leaks. In one incident documented in the files, workers discovered dead insects and scorpiones on an hangar floor following an overnight gas leak, highlighting the volatility of the agents handled by military personnel. To bypass supply chain shortages, General Hussein allegedly turned to local civilian infrastructure in violation of international norms, targeting the Al-Manara water treatment plant in Omdurman. The facility relied on chlorine supplies originally donated by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to purify drinking water during cholera outbreaks. By late August 2024, records indicate that 20 cylinders of chlorine gas had been smuggled across the border from a neighboring country.
Alleged Deployment and International Sanctions Response
Following alleged battlefield deployment against RSF positions near the Al-Jaili oil refinery north of Khartoum in September 2024, General Hussein sent communications boasting that opposing fighters “Hanno bevuto il gas.” These findings align with public statements made by the RSF on September 13, accusing the army of firing toxic missiles at the refinery infrastructure. The United States government responded to the emerging intelligence by implementing targeted sanctions in May 2025, which entered into force on July 20, 2025, penalizing individuals involved in procuring materials for the program. Authorities in Port Sudan have consistently rejected the allegations, maintaining that the military does not produce, store, or utilize chemical weapons and remains fully compliant with the Chemical Weapons Convention.
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