Ex-investigators have 'every reason to believe’ chemical weapons used in Sudan

Former UN chemical weapons investigators believe there is strong evidence of a chlorine attack in Sudan, according to a recent panel discussion on the matter. Mark Albon, a former head of the UN-Organisation for Prohibition of Chemical Weapons Joint Investigative Mechanism in Syria, stated that there is "every reason to believe" a chemical weapons attack occurred, specifically citing the September 2024 incident at the Al-Jaili refinery north of Khartoum as having the strongest evidence.

Albon emphasized the importance of an international investigation by the OPCW, the UN, or both, citing the access to the scene and forensic examinations as crucial for establishing the exact chemical used and the individuals responsible. However, he acknowledged that the passage of time and lack of access to the site made it impossible to determine the precise chemical or combination of chemicals used in the alleged attack.

The former OPCW director for international co-operation, Robert Fairweather, argued that the Chemical Weapons Convention was designed to address precisely this kind of situation and called for a full OPCW inquiry. He also raised concerns that failing to act could lead to "copycat" attacks in future conflicts, as the methods for creating and using improvised chemical weapons of this nature are now relatively well-known.

Both experts underscored the urgency of treating the Sudan allegations with the same forensic scrutiny as the Syrian case, and ensuring the people of Sudan receive the same protections against chemical weapons as those afforded to others around the world.