Belarus reports arms sales to Sudan

MINSK, June 20, 2005 (Sudan Tribune) — The Belarusian government has announced that it continued exporting weapons to Sudan and Ivory Coast, the Belarusian news agency Belapan reported.

In its 2004 report sent to the UN Register of Conventional Arms, the government notes that it supplied Sudan with 21 BRDM-2 armoured reconnaissance vehicles, seven BTR-80 and 10 BTR-70 armoured personnel carriers and a BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle.

In addition, Belarus sold two Su-25 fighter jets to Ivory Coast. The warplanes were delivered before the United Nations imposed an arms embargo on the African country on November 16.

Belarus has exported weapons and military hardware to Sudan since 1996. In 2003, it supplied that country with nine BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles, 39 BRDM-2 armoured reconnaissance vehicles, 16 D-30 howitzer guns, 10 Gvozdika self-propelled howitzers and six Grad multiple rocket launchers of two different versions.

Ivory Coast has bought weapons from Belarus since 2002. Last year, it imported a BMP-1 infantry fighting vehicle, 13 BRDM-2s, six BTR-80 armoured personnel carriers, six BM-21 Grads, 10 BM-37 mortars and two Su-25 trainer jets.