Sudan Doctors for Human Rights has urged international protection for medical workers who may hold evidence of suspected chemical weapons attacks, alongside an urgent, independent investigation into allegations of their use in Sudan.
The organisation said doctors and other healthcare professionals could possess crucial evidence, including patient records, laboratory results, photographs and clinical observations documenting symptoms and treatment following suspected chemical exposure.
Medical workers must be able to preserve that evidence and treat patients without intimidation, detention, threats or political interference, it said in a statement.
“No doctor should be punished for documenting what they witnessed or treating a victim of a suspected chemical attack,” the organisation said.
It urged the international community to provide protection and support for Sudanese healthcare workers who could become witnesses or serve as custodians of evidence.
The appeal places medical documentation and witness protection at the centre of calls for an internationally mandated inquiry into suspected chemical weapons use during Sudan’s war.
The organisation said such an investigation must be impartial, grounded in evidence and equipped with sufficient authority and resources to carry out its work.
It stressed that it was not seeking to prejudge the findings or assign responsibility to any party without proof. Investigators must establish the facts, with accountability for those responsible if violations are confirmed.
The allegations concern human lives, public health, international humanitarian law and fundamental rights, the group said.
It called on the United Nations secretary-general and relevant UN bodies to support an independent investigation and ensure the allegations are not overlooked.
The organisation also urged the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons and states party to the Chemical Weapons Convention to use the treaty’s mechanisms to establish the facts, help preserve evidence and ensure Sudan fulfils its obligations.
Sudanese doctors and other healthcare workers have been at the forefront of documenting the humanitarian consequences of the war, the statement said. Where chemical exposure is suspected, their observations and records may constitute some of the most important evidence available.
