US urges “abundance of caution” in arms deals with Sudan
May 8, 2007 (WASHINGTON) — The United States urged governments to exercise “an abundance of caution” in selling arms to Sudan following reports that Khartoum was using Chinese and Russian weapons in Darfur in violation of a UN embargo.
The State Department said it was well known that “an illicit flow of arms” was reaching Darfur despite the UN embargo on weapons shipments to the region, where more than 200,000 people have died and 2.5 million made homeless in four years of ethnic strife.
Spokesman Sean McCormack said he was unable to confirm or deny a report by the human rights group Amnesty International accusing Russia and China of supplying weapons used in Darfur.
The 24-page report by the London-based Amnesty provided photographs of Russian and Chinese warplanes it said were deployed at Nyala airport in Darfur in the last few months.
“We do know that there is, by the Sudanese government, an illicit flow of arms into Darfur, contrary to Security Council resolutions,” McCormack said.
“We don’t know, at this point, the origins of those arms,” he said.
McCormack noted that China has extensive trade and economic relations with Sudan, but said it was up to Beijing to describe its military ties.
China and Russia both denied the Amnesty report.
“But in light of the fact that we do know … it would seem prudent to exercise an abundance of caution in any kind of trade relationship with Khartoum that involves the sale of weapons,” he said.
McCormack reaffirmed that Washington and some of its allies were preparing a package of coercive measures against Khartoum if the government does not fully comply with a UN resolution demanding the deployment of 20,000 UN-led peacekeepers to Darfur.
He said the administration was still willing to honor a request from UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon for more time to negotiate with Khartoum about the peacekeepers before further sanctions are enacted.
Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir has reluctantly agreed to the first two phases of the UN plan involving deployment of logistical and support elements of the peacekeeping force.
But he has yet to authorize the full force deployment.
Most of the violence against Darfur’s ethnic African population has been blamed on Arab militia backed by the Khartoum government.
(AFP)