C4ADS Supports France 24 Investigation into Alleged Chemical Weapons Use in Sudan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE‌ — C4ADS partnered with France 24 for their recent investigation into the alleged use of chlorine as a chemical weapon in Sudan in 2024. Since the outbreak of the conflict on April 15, 2023, C4ADS has worked alongside its partners to hold all warring parties in Sudan — including both the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) — accountable for reported atrocities in Sudan. Our collaboration with France 24 furthers that work by shedding light on the complex supply chain that may have facilitated these attacks and by offering a clearer understanding of the actors involved, as well as pathways for holding them accountable.

Last month, our review of relevant trade data revealed a series of chlorine shipments sent from India to Sudan in 2024, amid the ongoing conflict in the latter country. C4ADS helped identify Indian company Chemtrade International Corporation — a manufacturer and exporter of chlorine for water treatment and other legitimate purposes — as the originator of these shipments. Parsing detailed trade records, we uncovered shipments with goods descriptions correlating with a cylinder number visible on images of containers obtained by France 24, suggesting that the chlorine may have been diverted from its intended use (unbeknownst to Chemtrade) and weaponized against the people of Sudan.

C4ADS then layered multi-jurisdictional trade data and corporate profiling to reveal a broader supply chain used to import military goods to Sudan, likely in support of the SAF. Paired with France 24’s research and materials, the data identifies this supply chain (centered around Ports Engineering Co. Ltd.) as the likely diversion pathway for the chlorine. C4ADS analysis confirms that Ports Engineering is majority-owned by sanctioned SAF-affiliated company Giad Industrial Group, increasing the likelihood that this chlorine supply was diverted to SAF via Ports Engineering. 

In addition, trade data records indicate that Ports Engineering imported what is likely military equipment from Turkish defense producer Karmetal Savunma Mühimmat Silah. Sudanese records show that the shipments contained “welded link chain[s]” and boxes or containers, with U.A.E. company Bond Technologies listed as a notify party. Corresponding Turkish records — which likely show the same shipments (under Karmetal’s former name, and also destined for Sudan and Bond Technologies) — indicate that they contained 20,000 “plastic bod[ies]” and 3,000 “metal box[es].” Based on Karmetal’s product offerings and historical trade records, we assess that these likely referred to ammunition belts and ammunition boxes, respectively.

Because of Ports Engineering’s ties to SAF and the fact that these goods were shipped after the start of the current conflict, they could be used by SAF in the conflict, and therefore could violate the U.N. arms embargo if destined for use in Darfur. These shipments also exemplify Ports Engineering’s precedent of importing goods of a military nature that could be diverted to SAF, as with the chlorine shipments that may have been used in chemical weapons attacks.  

Earlier this year, the United States officially determined that the Sudanese government used chemical weapons in 2024. The U.S. government announced new sanctions to be imposed on Sudan starting June 6, 2025, calling on the international community to take action against those contributing to chemical weapons proliferation. However, the evidence and analysis leading to this determination have not been disseminated publicly. C4ADS hopes that the findings from our collaboration with France 24 will help fill this gap, providing a basis for additional enforcement actions and future accountability efforts. C4ADS calls for those involved in dual-use-goods supply chains to continue to engage in enhanced due diligence on end users in conflict-affected states. 

For additional information about our work supporting democracy in Sudan, please visit the relevant initiative page on our website or reach out to us directly at [email protected]. If interested in viewing the full report from France 24, you can find it on this page of their website. For any related media inquiries, please email [email protected].