Sudanese army used chemical weapons twice, US officials say

Sudan's military has used chemical weapons at least twice against the paramilitary group it is fighting for control of the country, four senior U.S. officials said Thursday.

These weapons were recently deployed in remote areas of Sudan and targeted members of the Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries that the army has been fighting since April 2023. But US officials fear these weapons could soon be used in densely populated neighborhoods of the capital, Khartoum.

The revelations about the use of chemical weapons come as the United States announced sanctions on Thursday against Sudan's military leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, over documented atrocities by his troops, including the indiscriminate bombing of civilians and the use of starvation as a weapon. of war.

The use of chemical weapons crosses a new frontier in the war between the Sudanese army and the RSF, its former ally. In many ways, the conflict has created the world's worst humanitarian crisis, with up to 150,000 people killed, more than 11 million displaced, and now the world's worst famine in decades.

Under Burhan's leadership, the SAF's war tactics included indiscriminate bombing of civilian infrastructure, attacks on schools, markets and hospitals, and extrajudicial killings, the Treasury Department said, using an acronym for the Sudanese armed forces.

The United Nations, allied countries and humanitarian groups were informed Wednesday evening of the impending sanctions against General al-Burhan. The U.S. move is seen as a significant move against a figure seen by some as Sudan's head of state, who also represents his country at the United Nations.

Humanitarian groups fear that the Sudanese military could retaliate against the sanctions decision by further restricting aid operations in areas that are either in famine or on the verge of it.

It was not immediately clear what type of chemical weapons were being used. Knowledge of the chemical weapons program was limited to a small group within the Sudanese military, two of the U.S. officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive security issues. But it was clear that General al-Burhan had authorized their use, they said.

Sudan's ambassador to the United Nations, Al-Harith Idriss al-Harith Mohamed, denied the accusation. The Sudanese army has never used chemical or incendiary weapons, he said in a text message, noting that Sudan is a member of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

On the contrary, it was the militias who used them, he added, referring to the Rapid Support Forces.

Last week, the United States determined that the Rapid Support Forces committed genocide during the war and imposed sanctions on their leader, Lt. Gen. Mohamed Hamdan, for his role in atrocities against his own people. . The United States also sanctioned seven UAE-based companies that traded arms or gold on behalf of the RSF.

The Sudanese army has previously been accused of using chemical weapons. In 2016, Amnesty International said it had credible evidence of at least 30 probable attacks that killed and maimed hundreds of people, including children, in the western region of Darfur. The organization posted photos of children covered in sores and blisters, some vomiting blood or unable to breathe.

As the United States debated punitive measures against General al-Burhan last week, Sudanese authorities announced they would maintain a major aid corridor through neighboring Chad, a move seen by U.S. officials as a effort to avoid sanctions.

Two U.S. officials said the United States has detected numerous chemical weapons tests by Sudanese forces this year, as well as two instances in the past four months where such weapons were used against RSF troops.

The United States also obtained information that chemical weapons could soon be used in Bahri, north of Khartoum, where heavy fighting has raged in recent months as the two sides vie for control of the capital.

Last weekend, the Sudanese army scored a major victory when its forces retook the key town of Wad Madani, the capital of Sudan's breadbasket region, from the RSF. Residents who celebrated the victory said the RSF's year-long occupation of the town led to widespread abuses and pushed a fertile state toward famine.

Combined with the American determination that the Rapid Support Forces had committed genocide, the recapture of Wad Madani suggested that the Sudanese army was gaining momentum on the battlefield and winning public support.

But in recent days, there have been reports of brutal reprisals by Sudanese troops against suspected RSF collaborators in the region, including torture and summary executions. The United Nations expressed shock at the reports and ordered an investigation into the killings.

Although the use of chemical weapons was a major factor in the decision to impose sanctions against General al-Burhan on Thursday, the action was also a response to other atrocities, such as bombings that killed dozens of civilians at a time, as well as attacks on hospitals and other buildings protected by the laws of war.

Two U.S. officials said the United States was caught in a bind: To protect the source and method of intelligence used to determine that chemical weapons had been used in Sudan, the United States would not reveal details about the strikes, the officials said.

But U.S. officials also wanted to take action against Gen. al-Burhan before President-elect Donald J. Trump's inauguration on Monday. Under U.S. law, Congress must be notified of the discovery of chemical weapons use, and officials said members of Congress should be briefed on the matter at a classified hearing next month.

In addition to General al-Burhan, the sanctions announced Thursday also target a man described as a Sudanese arms supplier, as well as a company based in Hong Kong. A U.S. official said the company had been used to supply the Sudanese military with Iranian-made drones.

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