Sudan denies accusation of violating arms embargo in Darfur
August 25, 2007 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese government has denied an accusation by an international non-governmental group that Khartoum continued to violate a UN arms embargo in the conflict-torn western region of Darfur, Sudan’s Rayaam daily reported on Saturday.
Ali al-Sadig, the spokesman of the Sudanese Foreign Ministry, was quoted by the Arabic-language newspaper as saying that what had been reported by the London-based Amnesty International was ” fabricated.”
“The government has not violated any agreement on arms embargo, ” the spokesman stressed, adding that the Sudanese Armed Forces ( SAF) had the rights of conducting movements in Darfur.
The United Nations imposed an embargo on the sale and delivery of arms to Darfur in July 2004 which was extended in March 2005.
A spokesman of the SAF told the newspaper that the equipment were being transported to Darfur routinely to enable the Sudanese army there to carry out its duties.
“We have an army in Darfur and it can not be without weapons,” the spokesman noted.
Accusing the Sudanese government of continuing to violate the UN arms embargo in Darfur on Thursday, the Amnesty International also urged the UN to give the future hybrid peacekeeping force in the region the authority to confiscate weapons from combatants.
The peacekeeping force are to be jointly deployed by the UN and the African Union in Darfur by the end of the year.
In its report, the Amnesty International published photographs it said obtained from credible witnesses supporting the claim of arms embargo violations.
The photographs were taken in July and showed military shipments at the Sudanese army airport in the West Darfur state capital of El Geneina, according to the group.
(Xinhua)