Sudan denies US accusations of chemical weapons use in Khartoum

Khartoum, Sep 4 (IANS) Sudan's government has rejected US accusations that it used chemical weapons in the capital Khartoum, saying there is no evidence of chemical or radiological contamination.

In a report released earlier this week, the Federal Ministry of Health said on Wednesday that field tests, medical reports, and surveillance data showed no signs of toxic substances, Xinhua news agency reported.

"There is no evidence of chemical or radiological contamination in Khartoum State," it said in a detailed report.

The Ministry said that no abnormal deaths, mass illnesses, or symptoms of poisoning had been recorded, and that forensic reports had not identified any unusual causes of death.

It added that radiation levels were normal, no radioactive material had moved, and no suspicious munitions or residues had been found.

It also said that forensic pathology teams found no fatalities typically associated with chemical weapons.

The report said the findings were based on field tests conducted since April, when the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) retook control of Khartoum from the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF).

It added that measurements were carried out with equipment accredited by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

The US in June imposed sanctions on Sudan, accusing it of using chemical weapons in 2024.

Khartoum dismissed the allegations at the time as "political blackmail" and a distortion of facts.

Sudan has been in conflict since April 2023, when fighting broke out between the SAF and the RSF.

The war has killed tens of thousands and displaced millions, worsening a humanitarian crisis in one of the world's poorest countries.

The RSF too is under US sanctions.

In January, the US State Department determined that the group had "committed genocide" against some ethnic groups in the western region of Darfur and imposed sanctions on its leader Mohammad Hamdan Daglo.

The Sudan government attributed most citizens' health complaints, including diarrhoea, fever, and an increase in deaths, to the collapse of health services during the war and the spread of diseases like cholera, malaria, and dengue fever.

The report comes as thousands of displaced families return to Khartoum, despite poor services, widespread disease, and lingering insecurity in some areas.

--IANS

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