China and Russia Deny Arming the Janjaweed in Darfur

China, Russia Deny Weapons Breach

China and Russia have denied claims by Amnesty International that they are supplying arms to Sudan for use in Darfur, in breach of a UN arms embargo.

A report by the rights group says the weapons end up in the hands of the government-backed Janjaweed militia. It also includes apparent photographic evidence of Sudan using military aircraft camouflaged white in Darfur. China said its exports to Sudan were legal, limited and on a small scale. Russia also denied any embargo breach. A Russian foreign ministry official said Moscow "unswervingly" observes the UN restrictions.

Under the terms of a UN Security Council resolution passed in March 2005, an embargo is in place on the supply of arms to all parties in the conflict in Darfur. The Sudanese ambassador to the UN, Abdel Mahmood Abdel Haleem, said the Amnesty allegations were "baseless and unfounded". More than 200,000 people have died during a four-year conflict in Darfur, and the Janjaweed militia are accused of displacing and killing tens of thousands of people. Photographs In its report, Amnesty calls on the UN Security Council to strengthen the arms embargo on Darfur, which was extended in March 2005 to cover all parties. Amnesty says it is "dismayed" that two permanent members of the UN Security Council are "allowing ongoing flows of arms to parties in Sudan".

The report provides photographs of what it says were a Russian Mi-24 attack helicopter at Nyala in Darfur and Chinese Fanfan fighters at Nyala earlier this year. It also pictures an all-white, Russian-built Antonov 26 military plane, with the registration code ST-ZZZ. It says it appears there are "three planes with this registration number" and said it was "highly likely" they were used in bombing raids. The Amnesty report backs up a UN study, leaked to the New York Times last month, which said Sudan was painting aircraft white to make them look like UN planes - a practice banned by the Geneva Convention. "The use of all-white aircraft and helicopters... in Darfur is in violation of applicable norms of international humanitarian law," the new report says. Sudan denies using any white aircraft for military purposes, but says it has some white helicopters to transfer officials. Amnesty says its report is based on eyewitness accounts from Darfur and "confidential sources". Trade The Amnesty report backs the UN findings suggesting that Sudan is flying weapons into Darfur in breach of UN Security Council resolutions, a claim denied by Sudan.

But Amnesty says Sudan is "routinely failing to seek [UN] approval to move weapons... into Darfur", it says, and is importing weapons it knows will be used to target civilians. The human rights group says Russia and China are aware of the eventual uses of arms exported to Sudan. It cites 2005 trade figures as showing China sold $24m and Russia $21m of military material to Sudan. Amnesty has also accused Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Belarus of supplying arms. China has a close relationship with Sudan, increasing its military co-operation with Khartoum earlier this year. The relationship is based around Khartoum's plentiful supply of oil, which China needs to fuel its booming economy, says the BBC's Daniel Griffiths in Beijing.

However, Amnesty now says it wants a list made of all items prohibited for transfer and for UN personnel to be stationed at all ports of entry in Sudan. Amnesty also wants all UN states to suspend the transfer of any arms and ammunitions likely to be used by the parties in Darfur. But Mr Haleem said military assets were simply being moved around the country. Mr Haleem told the BBC: "We are moving these military assets to their respective places. We are not using these aircraft for any military function in Darfur."

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Son of man, set your face toward Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal, and prophecy against him, and say, 'Thus says the Lord God, "Behold, I am against you, O Gog, prince of Rosh, Meshech, and Tubal. And I will turn you about, and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them splendidly attired, a great company with buckler and shield, all of them wielding swords; Persia, Ethiopia, and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet; Gomer with all its troops; Beth-togarmah from the remote parts of the north with all its troops, many peoples with you.
~ Ezekiel 38:2-6