Sudan Opens the Door to an International Investigation into Chemical Weapons Allegations

The Sudanese government has announced its willingness to cooperate with the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to verify U.S. allegations accusing the Sudanese Armed Forces of using chemical weapons.

The government stressed that the national committee it had previously established was not intended to replace the international mechanisms provided for under the Chemical Weapons Convention.

Khartoum also revealed, for the first time, that it has maintained a joint bilateral mechanism with the United States that has been discussing the allegations for more than a year.

According to the government, it repeatedly requested that Washington send U.S. experts to conduct an on-the-ground investigation, but the United States did not respond to those requests.

In a statement issued on Thursday evening, Sudan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the joint bilateral mechanism between Khartoum and Washington had been examining the chemical weapons allegations for over a year.

The ministry explained that the Sudanese government had, on several occasions, proposed sending a team of U.S. experts to Sudan to verify the allegations through field investigations. However, it said, the U.S. side declined to respond to those invitations.

The announcement marks the first official disclosure by the Sudanese government that extended bilateral consultations with the United States have been taking place regarding the allegations since Washington publicly accused Sudan and imposed sanctions based on those claims.