Sudan crisis: International lawsuit targets leaders over chemical weapons use

The Sudanese Alliance for Rights (SAR), working alongside a coalition of lawyers, has filed international lawsuits and legal complaints against senior officials in Sudan’s military-backed government, accusing them of grave human rights abuses, including the use of chemical weapons in the ongoing conflict.

The legal action comes in the wake of heightened international concern, following U.S. confirmations earlier this year that the Sudanese army deployed chemical weapons in 2024 during its war with the Rapid Support Forces.

Washington deemed the move a violation of Sudan’s commitments under the Chemical Weapons Convention, which the country ratified in 1999.

In May 2025, the U.S. State Department announced sanctions that restricted exports to Sudan and cut off access to government credit lines.

According to reports cited by American media, the army, under the approval of Commander Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, deployed chemical weapons—likely chlorine gas—on at least two occasions in remote areas.

SAR has initiated several steps to push for accountability. A lawsuit has been filed at the International Criminal Court (ICC), naming four senior Port Sudan authorities: General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, General Shams al-Din al-Kabbashi, General Yasser al-Atta, and General al-Taher Mohamed.

The complaint seeks to activate ICC jurisdiction in Sudan, where investigations into Darfur crimes remain open.

In addition, a complaint has been submitted to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, urging condemnation of Port Sudan authorities for alleged chemical weapons use.

SAR has also written to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), attaching the lawsuit and requesting immediate investigations and suspension of Sudan’s membership in the organization.

The developments coincide with regional unease over the rising influence of extremist militias allied with the army.

In a joint statement issued in September 2025, the International Quartet—comprising Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the United States—warned that extremist groups linked to the Muslim Brotherhood were exploiting the conflict.

The Quartet cautioned that Sudan’s future could not be determined by such groups, stressing the risks posed to regional stability and the Red Sea corridor.

The statement also called for an end to external military support to Sudan’s warring factions, a reference to Turkey and Iran, and reiterated that no military solution exists for the crisis.