The United Nations says it is prepared to investigate allegations that the Sudanese Armed Forces used chemical weapons during the country’s war if it receives a formal mandate to do so.
Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told The National that the organisation would act if authorised to investigate the alleged use of chemical weapons in Sudan.
“If we are given a mandate to do so, we will,” Dujarric said when asked whether a fact-finding mission could be established to enter Sudan and investigate the allegations.
Dujarric condemned the prospect of chemical weapons being used in modern warfare, pointing to their devastating history in the First World War and their later use in Iraq and Syria.
The comments come amid growing international pressure for an independent investigation into allegations involving the Sudanese army. Former officials from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons have also called for a formal inquiry, saying evidence surrounding alleged incidents, including an attack near the Al-Jaili oil refinery north of Khartoum, warrants further investigation.
The United States formally determined in April 2025 that Sudan’s government had used chemical weapons in 2024 in violation of international law. Washington subsequently imposed sanctions, including restrictions on US exports and access to government credit. Sudan’s army-aligned authorities have rejected allegations that their forces used chemical weapons.
More recently, investigations based on internal documents, videos and other material have raised further questions about an alleged chemical weapons programme linked to the Sudanese military, although an independent international investigation has yet to establish responsibility conclusively.
Dujarric also said the UN supports efforts to halt the flow of foreign weapons into Sudan, arguing that continued arms supplies are prolonging the conflict and increasing the toll on civilians.
“The Sudanese people don’t need more bombs. The Sudanese people don’t need more drones. The Sudanese people need peace,” he said.
Guterres has separately called for countries supplying weapons to Sudan’s warring parties to be held accountable, warning that foreign military support has increased the ability of combatants to carry out increasingly sophisticated attacks.
