allesennogwat
05-08-2007, 11:52 AM
AFP-Tuesday May 8
China and Russia are supplying arms to Sudan which are being used in war-torn Darfur in violation of a United Nations embargo, the human rights group Amnesty International charged Tuesday.
Amnesty said it was "deeply dismayed" that China and Russia are continuing to send arms "that are diverted for the conflict in Darfur and used there and across the border in Chad to commit grave violations of international law."
Along with Britain, France and the United States, China and Russia are permanent members of the UN Security Council, which adopted an extensive arms embargo in 2005.
In Moscow, a foreign ministry spokesman rejected the Amnesty report, saying: "None of our arms are being supplied to Darfur."
"We rigorously observe the provisions of the UN resolution banning deliveries of arms to Darfur," he told AFP.
And in Beijing, foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said the Amnesty report was "a groundless accusation."
"The Chinese government takes a responsible attitude and a strict management policy on arms exports," she said.
In a 24-page report obtained by AFP, Amnesty provided photographs of Russian and Chinese warplanes it said were stationed at Nyala airport in the Darfur region in the last few months.
In early March, a large bomb and some green ammunition boxes were seen next to Chinese Fantam jet bombers, it said.
It added that, on March 22, a plane described by witnesses as a Sudanese Russian-built Antonov "bombed areas north and south of the north-eastern Chadian town of Bahait."
Amnesty said Sudan imported from China 24 million dollars (18 million euros) worth of arms and ammunition, nearly 57 million dollars worth of parts and aircraft equipment and two million dollars worth of parts of helicopters and airplanes.
It cited data from Sudan for 2005, the last available trade figures.
It said the Chinese company AviChina Industry and Technology "recently delivered six K-8 military training/attack aircraft to the Sudanese Air Force and a further six will follow soon," citing an unnamed military magazine.
"The K-8S is widely used as a basic training jet for fighter pilots. Some of the Sudanese Air Force fighter pilots will eventually graduate onto the NAMC Q-5 'Fantan' after undergoing basic training on the K-8S," it said.
"Amnesty International is concerned that the Sudan Air Force has transferred these (Fantan) jet bombers to Darfur without authority from the UN Sanctions Committee," the report said, citing photograph and other evidence it provided.
It said Sudan "is highly likely to use these newly acquired jets, as it has other aircraft, and the acquisition of expertise to fly the jets supplied from China, for indiscriminate attacks in Darfur."
Such attacks would be in violation of the UN arms embargo and international humanitarian law, it added.
It added that in 2005, the Russian Federation exported to Sudan 21 million dollars worth of aircraft and associated equipment including spare parts and 13.7 million dollars of helicopters.
"The use of various types of military helicopters, particularly the Russian Mi-24 helicopter gunships acquired by the Sudan Air Force, to launch attacks in Darfur in which civilians are subjected to indiscriminate fire is of particular concern to Amnesty International," it said.
It also expressed concern over close military ties between Sudan and Iran, Belarus and Kuwait.
Some 200,000 people have died in the four-year civil war in Darfur and two million more fled their homes, according to UN figures, although some sources put the toll much higher.
Sudan says that only 9,000 have died.
China and Russia are supplying arms to Sudan which are being used in war-torn Darfur in violation of a United Nations embargo, the human rights group Amnesty International charged Tuesday.
Amnesty said it was "deeply dismayed" that China and Russia are continuing to send arms "that are diverted for the conflict in Darfur and used there and across the border in Chad to commit grave violations of international law."
Along with Britain, France and the United States, China and Russia are permanent members of the UN Security Council, which adopted an extensive arms embargo in 2005.
In Moscow, a foreign ministry spokesman rejected the Amnesty report, saying: "None of our arms are being supplied to Darfur."
"We rigorously observe the provisions of the UN resolution banning deliveries of arms to Darfur," he told AFP.
And in Beijing, foreign ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said the Amnesty report was "a groundless accusation."
"The Chinese government takes a responsible attitude and a strict management policy on arms exports," she said.
In a 24-page report obtained by AFP, Amnesty provided photographs of Russian and Chinese warplanes it said were stationed at Nyala airport in the Darfur region in the last few months.
In early March, a large bomb and some green ammunition boxes were seen next to Chinese Fantam jet bombers, it said.
It added that, on March 22, a plane described by witnesses as a Sudanese Russian-built Antonov "bombed areas north and south of the north-eastern Chadian town of Bahait."
Amnesty said Sudan imported from China 24 million dollars (18 million euros) worth of arms and ammunition, nearly 57 million dollars worth of parts and aircraft equipment and two million dollars worth of parts of helicopters and airplanes.
It cited data from Sudan for 2005, the last available trade figures.
It said the Chinese company AviChina Industry and Technology "recently delivered six K-8 military training/attack aircraft to the Sudanese Air Force and a further six will follow soon," citing an unnamed military magazine.
"The K-8S is widely used as a basic training jet for fighter pilots. Some of the Sudanese Air Force fighter pilots will eventually graduate onto the NAMC Q-5 'Fantan' after undergoing basic training on the K-8S," it said.
"Amnesty International is concerned that the Sudan Air Force has transferred these (Fantan) jet bombers to Darfur without authority from the UN Sanctions Committee," the report said, citing photograph and other evidence it provided.
It said Sudan "is highly likely to use these newly acquired jets, as it has other aircraft, and the acquisition of expertise to fly the jets supplied from China, for indiscriminate attacks in Darfur."
Such attacks would be in violation of the UN arms embargo and international humanitarian law, it added.
It added that in 2005, the Russian Federation exported to Sudan 21 million dollars worth of aircraft and associated equipment including spare parts and 13.7 million dollars of helicopters.
"The use of various types of military helicopters, particularly the Russian Mi-24 helicopter gunships acquired by the Sudan Air Force, to launch attacks in Darfur in which civilians are subjected to indiscriminate fire is of particular concern to Amnesty International," it said.
It also expressed concern over close military ties between Sudan and Iran, Belarus and Kuwait.
Some 200,000 people have died in the four-year civil war in Darfur and two million more fled their homes, according to UN figures, although some sources put the toll much higher.
Sudan says that only 9,000 have died.