WP and NYT report on the development and use of chemical weapons by Sudanese government forces

WP, NYT report on obtaining extensive data, including video of estimated chlorine bomb test

(Washington = Yonhap News) Correspondent Na-ri Baek = The Washington Post (WP) and the New York Times (NYT) reported on the 5th (local time) that specific circumstances have been revealed that government forces developed and stockpiled chemical weapons and used them against rebels in Sudan, which is suffering from a civil war.

The extensive data these media outlets obtained from national intelligence agencies in the Middle East included a number of specific details suggesting that the Sudanese military developed and produced chemical weapons over the past six months in 2024.

WP analyzed the data and raised the possibility that the Sudanese military had stockpiled up to 290 chemical weapons.

An officer who participated in the raid also received a text message saying, "You cooked it," along with a video of a victim with blackened skin. This is data that can be assumed to have been made fun of by comparing a brutal chemical weapons attack to 'cooking'.

The data obtained by these media also included circumstances where chlorine sent by an international relief organization to a private water purification plant was used to make bombs.

A video of a bomb exploding in a desert area of ​​Sudan and yellow smoke rising was also included. It appears to have been a secret experiment, and WP reported that the smoke may be yellow due to chlorine.

Suspicions have long been raised that the Sudanese military is attacking the rebel Rapid Support Forces (RSF) with chemical weapons such as chlorine bombs, but there has been little concrete evidence. The United States imposed sanctions last year after determining that Sudan had used chemical weapons, but provided little related evidence.

The Sudanese military has denied any related allegations. This time, he threatened legal action if the NYT reported it, calling it "unfounded data."

The government's chemical weapons attack during the Syrian civil war caused outrage around the world and led to a military attack by the United States, but Sudan received relatively little international attention. Sudan is a member of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which prohibits the development, stockpiling and use of chemical weapons.

The civil war between the Sudanese military and the RSF, which began in April 2023, has resulted in 13 million refugees, and both sides are accused of committing war crimes such as genocide.

The civil war is also taking on the aspect of a proxy war in Middle Eastern countries. The Sudanese military is supported by Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Turkiye, while RSF relies on the United Arab Emirates.