Riffat Kausar
SNN News Finland
A leaked dossier shared with The New York Times and The Washington Post has provided the most detailed account yet of a secret Sudanese Armed Forces chemical weapons program in 2024, reviving global alarm that chlorine gas munitions may be used again and raising hard questions about international accountability.
What the dossier shows
The Leaked Dossier includes photographs, videos, bomb blueprints, and voice and text messages. It details how the SAF tested bombs in Sudan’s desert and built a chemical weapons operation piece by piece before attempting to conceal the project after it was discovered by the United States.
Reporting by The Washington Post says unseen observers can be heard cheering test explosions.
The material also suggests some chlorine used to make the bombs was sourced at a civilian water treatment centre that had received the chemical from international aid groups.
US sanctions and the chemical trail
The United States determined in April 2025 that the Government of Sudan used chemical weapons in 2024 in violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which Sudan ratified in 1999.
That finding triggered initial sanctions under US law. After Sudan did not meet conditions to avert further penalties, Washington imposed a second package effective July 20, 2026.
According to earlier New York Times reporting, the chemical agent used with the direct approval of army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan was chlorine.
France 24 reported that the army dropped two chlorine gas barrels near the al-Jaili oil refinery north of Khartoum in September 2024 while the area was under RSF control.
The new dossier points to alleged chemical attacks including the al-Jaili incident. Intercepted communications cited in the dossier indicate that after the US sanctioned Sudan, Gen. al-Burhan ordered an aide to “remove all traces” of the program.
SAF and the Muslim Brotherhood question
The SAF’s leadership has long faced allegations of Islamist infiltration. In March 2026, the US State Department designated the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood as a Specially Designated Leaked Dossier Global Terrorist group, citing training and other support from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Some analysts and reports have described the Muslim Brotherhood as comprising a substantial element within Sudan’s military structure.
Gen. al-Burhan has publicly denied any political affiliation with the Brotherhood, but the question remains politically charged in Western capitals.
Silence and the election context
International human rights organizations have documented extensive abuses in Sudan’s civil war, yet some observers say broader political attention to the chemical weapons dimension has been uneven.
With the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks approaching, there is renewed concern that Islamist militant networks could seek far more destructive capabilities than the smaller-scale attacks seen in the West in recent years.
Why this matters now
The Leaked Dossier does not name every individual who ordered or supplied the chemical strikes, and many details still require independent verification.
Still, the evidence has already intensified calls for an independent international investigation. Diplomats warn that unless the SAF is clearly prevented from preserving or sharing chemical-weapons knowledge, the risk of proliferation to other armed groups grows.
The US State Department has said the prohibition on chemical weapons is absolute. Whether that translates into stronger diplomatic pressure, arms-embargo moves, or new multilateral action remains uncertain.
FAQs:
What does the dossier allege?
That the SAF built and tested a chlorine-based chemical weapons program in 2024 and later tried to cover it up.
Has the US taken action?
Yes. Washington imposed a second round of sanctions on Sudan in July 2026 after an initial 2025 determination that chemical weapons were used.
What is the Muslim Brotherhood link?
The US designated the Sudanese Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group in 2026. Some reports allege Islamist elements are embedded in the SAF; Burhan denies this.
What happens next?
Leaked Dossier are growing for an independent international investigation and tighter diplomatic pressure on Khartoum.
Verification
Leaked Dossier story is sourced from The New York Times, The Washington Post, The National News, RFI, Defense Post, US State Department releases, and the Federal Register. All dates, figures, and attribution are preserved from those sources.
Verified by Scandinavian News Agency Finland
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