CAP Liberté de Conscience and HRWF Highlight Use of Chemical Weapons by Sudanese Armed Forces at the 59th UN Human Rights Council Session

At the 59th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, CAP Liberté de Conscience and Human Rights Without Frontiers submitted a written statement condemning the use of chemical weapons by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in the ongoing civil war in Sudan. This alarming development was recently confirmed by the United States Department of State, which notified the U.S. Congress of SAF’s non-compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

The written statement outlines the conflict’s devastating humanitarian impact, noting that the war between SAF and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) that began in April 2023 has deeply exacerbated ethnic and racial discrimination. Systematic campaigns of violence, including extrajudicial killings and ethnic cleansing, disproportionately affect minority groups such as South Sudanese, Nuba, and African tribes from western Sudan.

The statement draws attention to the U.S. government’s April 2025 determination that the SAF employed chemical weapons, specifically riot control agents such as chloropicrin, banned when used as weapons of war. Attacks reported in Omdurman and other locations involved chlorine gas, which causes severe health consequences and can be fatal, raising concerns about the potential risks to civilians in densely populated areas.

Following this determination, the U.S. has announced sanctions targeting the SAF, including restrictions on exports and access to governmental credit lines. The SAF’s use of chemical weapons appears authorized by top military leadership, notably General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who has previously faced sanctions for documented atrocities.

The statement quotes international voices condemning chemical weapons use, including British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who called for immediate protective measures for civilians and condemned the continuation of atrocities. It also cites the United Kingdom’s official concerns expressed at the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

CAP Liberté de Conscience and HRWF urge Sudan to honor its obligations under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991, demand an end to chemical weapons use, and call on the international community to strengthen protection of civilians, provide medical aid to victims, and renew peace efforts with zero tolerance for impunity.

Source: Written statement A/HRC/59/NGO/316 submitted by Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience and Human Rights Without Frontiers, 31 May 2025.