Darfur update: Usual suspects still at it

China and Russia have no interest in putting real pressure on Khartoum:

Russia and China have broken a United Nations arms embargo by supplying Sudan with attack helicopters, bombers and other weapons in the knowledge that they are being use against civilians in Darfur, Amnesty International said yesterday. Mi-24 helicopter gunships; Amnesty International said that Russia and China have broken a UN arms embargo by supplying Sudan with weapons Mi-24 helicopter gunships have been photographed in Darfur

Chinese strike aircraft and Russian helicopter gunships have been photographed at three airports in Darfur. Their presence violates UN [Security Council] Resolution 1591, which banned Sudan from transferring any weaponry to Darfur without the Security Council's official permission.

Both Russia and China approved the passage of the resolution in March 2005. But Amnesty's new report finds that both countries went on to breach the very arms embargo they were party to imposing.

China sold arms and ammunition worth £12 million to Sudan in 2005, along with spare parts worth £30 million for military aircraft.

In the same year, Russia sold helicopter gunships worth almost £7 million to the Khartoum regime. Belarus, a close ally of Russia, exported 32 heavy artillery guns and nine armoured fighting vehicles. China also sold six K8 training aircraft to Sudan's air force. Another six of these jet planes, which could be used for ground attack missions, are due to be delivered soon...

Jumpin' Jack Layton, for his part, wants our troops to flip out of Afghanistan to take part in the still non-existent large UN force in Darfur. Or maybe he wants us to invade. Who knows? Who cares?

Mark C.

Posted by markc at May 9, 2007 06:12 PM