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China, Russia breach Darfur arms embargo -Amnesty
08 May 2007 11:50:55 GMT
Source: Reuters
(Adds Russian reaction, updates China comment)

By Kate Kelland

LONDON, May 8 (Reuters) - Human rights group Amnesty International accused Russia and China on Tuesday of breaching a U.N. arms embargo by letting weapons into Sudan, where it said they were used in "grave violations" of international law.

Amnesty said it was "deeply dismayed" by the flow of arms allowed by China and Russia, both members of the U.N. Security Council, and said the weapons were often diverted to be used in conflict in Darfur and neighbouring Chad.

"The authority of the Security Council itself is being greatly undermined as the Sudanese authorities and armed groups in Darfur are allowed to act with such obvious impunity before the eyes of the world, importing and diverting arms to commit flagrant violations of international law," Amnesty said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said the accusation was "totally unreasonable", adding China had a "prudent, responsible, and strictly administered policy" on military exports and abided by the relevant U.N. resolutions.

In Russia, the RIA news agency said the Foreign Ministry had also denied the Amnesty accusations. "None of our arms are being supplied to Darfur," it quoted a ministry source as saying. "We unswervingly observe the provisions of the UN resolution banning arms supplies to Darfur."

The United Nations says around 200,000 people have died and more than 2 million have been made homeless since conflict flared in Darfur in 2003 when rebel groups took up arms against the Khartoum government, accusing it of neglect. Khartoum says only 9,000 have lost their lives.

One main group signed a 2006 peace agreement with the government and small factions later committed themselves to the deal, but it has so far failed to stop the violence.

The United Nations accused Khartoum in a report last month of violating U.N. resolutions by flying weapons and other military equipment into Darfur.

Both the United Nations and the Amnesty reports also accused the Sudanese government of using planes painted white to make them look like U.N. aircraft to bomb and carry out surveillance of villages in the violence-torn western region.

Amnesty urged the international community and Security Council to "act decisively to strengthen the design and implementation of the U.N. arms embargo on Darfur" until there was no longer a danger that arms would be misused.

China buys much of Sudan's oil. It confirmed on Tuesday it would send military engineers for a planned U.N. peacekeeping force to Darfur.

It has resisted proposals to send the U.N. peacekeepers without Sudan's consent, but has nudged Sudan to accept them and in April sent an envoy to inspect refugee camps in Darfur.


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Last updated:Tue May 8 11:54:23 2007