Rights advocates are pressing for an independent international investigation into allegations that Sudan’s army used chemical weapons, including chlorine gas, amid renewed scrutiny of the Port Sudan authorities and their Islamist allies.
The calls coincided with UN Human Rights Council meetings in Geneva, according to a report published by Alrakoba, which cited coverage by Modern Diplomacy and Sky News.
Advocates participating in events organised by the Geneva Press Club called for investigators to be given access to suspected attack sites to collect samples, interview witnesses and examine evidence directly.
The report said rights groups accused the army leadership and the Port Sudan authorities of obstructing international accountability and undermining efforts to secure a ceasefire and a civilian political process.
Willy Fautré, director of Human Rights Without Frontiers, was among participants who argued that denials from the army and the Port Sudan administration could not substitute for an independent inquiry, according to Sky News coverage cited in the article.
Participants said a party accused of using chemical weapons should not be responsible for investigating its own military conduct.
The allegations have also sharpened criticism of the influence of Muslim Brotherhood figures and former regime officials within institutions controlled by the Port Sudan authorities.
The report accused those networks of directing resources towards a military solution and resisting international scrutiny of alleged abuses, including chemical weapons use and aerial bombardment of civilian areas. Those claims were not accompanied by independently verified evidence in the supplied account.
Rights organisations urged the Human Rights Council to move beyond statements condemning both sides and take concrete steps towards an independent UN investigation. They also called for protection for civilians trapped by the fighting and an extension of the mandate of the independent fact-finding mission on Sudan.
Advocates warned that continued delays in securing access to suspected attack sites would hamper efforts to establish what happened and hold those responsible accountable.
The army and the Port Sudan authorities have denied the chemical weapons allegations, according to the report.
