UN says it could investigate Sudan chemical weapons allegations if given mandate

The United Nations has said it is prepared to investigate allegations that Sudan’s armed forces used chemical weapons, provided it receives a formal mandate. The allegations remain contested, and no independent international investigation cited in this report has established who, if anyone, used such weapons, The National was told on Monday in New York.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, described the prospect of chemical weapons use as “abhorrent”. He also expressed support for efforts to stop weapons flowing into Sudan, where the army has been fighting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 2023.

The United States determined in 2025 that the Sudanese government had used chemical weapons in 2024 and imposed sanctions. It announced further measures in 2026. A US determination is separate from an independent investigation establishing responsibility for a specific attack.

Recent media investigations have added to calls for scrutiny. The Washington Post reported on documents and messages that it said pointed to a concealed chemical weapons programme within Sudan’s military. Euronews reported witness accounts and expert assessments indicating possible exposure to toxic substances. Those reports have not, by themselves, established the allegations as fact.

Sudan has disputed the US allegations and established a national committee to examine them. Its reported findings said there was no evidence of chemical or radioactive contamination based on the material it assessed. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons has said it is monitoring the allegations.

The issue has emerged amid a separate diplomatic dispute over a US visa for Sudanese army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan to attend the UN General Assembly. Reuters reported on 22 September that the visa had not been issued and that sources linked the delay to a proposed 90-day ceasefire. Neither the US State Department nor Sudanese authorities immediately commented on that reported link, and there is no established connection between the visa dispute and the chemical weapons allegations.

An independent investigation would be needed to assess the available evidence, determine whether chemical weapons were used and establish any individual responsibility.