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Amnesty: Sudan 'flaunts' disregard for embargo,
continues arms shipments to Darfour
Monday, August 27, 2007 | Posted by WorldTribune.com
LONDON — Sudan is defying the international community by continuing to send weapons to the military and a government-aligned militia in the war-torn province in Darfour, according to a new report.
"Sudan flaunts its impudence of the UN arms
embargo and peace agreements by persisting to send
arms into Darfour," said Larry Cox, Amnesty
International executive director in Washington,
said. "An embargo is only effective if it there
are repercussions for defiance. The UN Security
Council must strongly enforce this embargo immediately.
Placing UN observers at all ports of entry in Sudan
and Darfour is a good place to start."
Amnesty International said the Khartoum regime has
continued deployment of offensive military equipment
in Darfour despite the United Nations arms embargo
and peace agreements, Middle East Newsline reported.
The London-based organization said its assertion
was based on photographs taken in July 2007.
The photographs showed Sudanese Air Force aircraft
unload soldiers and equipment at Darfour's El Geneina
airport. Amnesty said Russian-supplied Antonov AN-12
air transports, Mi-17 utility helicopters were ferrying
arms and equipment to Darfour.
Amnesty said Russia has supplied a range of combat
helicopters to Khartoum for operations in Darfour.
The report said 15 Mi-17 transport helicopters were
delivered to Sudan in 2005 and 2006, and 12 Mi-24
attack helicopters arrived in 2005.
"Aerial attacks by the Sudanese government
on civilians in Darfour continue, with the UN reporting
air attacks in North Darfour at the end of June,"
the report said. "Thousands of displaced villagers
have fled the Jebel Moon/Sirba area in West Darfour
after renewed attacks on areas under control of
armed opposition groups by government of Sudan forces
supported by Janjaweed."
Amnesty said an Antonov aircraft bombed in Taalba,
Habil Suleiman and Fataha in mid-2007. The report
said Khartoum was also supplying the Janjaweed militia,
deemed responsible for many of the attacks on civilians
in Darfour.
"An Antonov capable of such raids was reportedly
transferred from Russia to Sudan in September 2006,"
the report said.
The report also said Sudanese forces were using
militarized Land Rover 4x4 vehicles to raid communities
in Darfour. Amnesty said Janjaweed fighters were
probably participating in the operations.
"The proliferation of small arms and militarized
vehicles in Darfour has led to an increase in armed
attacks on aid convoys and other devastating attacks
against civilians," the report said. "The
Sudanese government has consistently failed to stop
such attacks by ethnic groups using the government's
own arms and vehicles."