Sudan: Leaked Intelligence Sheds New Light On Sudan Military's Alleged Chlorine Weapons Programme

What the report says

A leaked-cache of intelligence material has renewed scrutiny of allegations that Sudan’s army developed and used chlorine-based weapons during the war. In a report published Sept. 5, The New York Times and The Washington Post said they reviewed more than 150 records, images, videos and intercepted communications that point to an alleged program beginning in 2024, as the Sudanese Armed Forces sought an edge against the Rapid Support Forces in Khartoum. The material reportedly includes design sketches, test-related references and discussions about hiding the effort after it drew U.S. attention.

The reporting identified Brig. Gen. Tariq Hussein as a key figure from July 2024 and described a prototype explosive warhead carrying roughly 33 pounds of chlorine gas. It also said the documents point to possible supply routes for chlorine, including a shipment that may have entered through Egypt and cylinders associated with water-treatment sites in Khartoum. The article notes that such evidence does not by itself prove civilian supplies were diverted into weapons.

UNICEF said it supplied chlorine to the Khartoum State Water Corporation for water-treatment stations, including Al-Manara, and said it found no evidence its materials were misused. Sudanese authorities in Port Sudan have denied producing, stockpiling or using chemical weapons. The United States sanctioned Sudan in 2025 over separate chemical-weapons allegations, adding to pressure for an independent inquiry into the new claims.