KHARTOUM, 9 May 2007 — Amnesty International accused China and Russia yesterday of breaching a UN arms embargo by letting weapons into Sudan, where the rights group said they were used in violation of international law.
China, the biggest foreign investor in Sudan, dismissed the accusations and said it would send military engineers as part of a UN package to support the African Union force in Darfur.
A Russian Foreign Ministry official also denied the charges.
Amnesty said it was “deeply dismayed” by the flow of arms allowed by China and Russia, both permanent members of the UN Security Council, and said the weapons were often diverted to be used in conflict in Darfur and neighboring Chad.
“The authority of the Security Council itself is being greatly undermined as the Sudanese authorities and armed groups in Darfur are allowed to act with such obvious impunity before the eyes of the world, importing and diverting arms to commit flagrant violations of international law,” Amnesty said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said the Amnesty accusations were “totally unreasonable.” She said China had a “prudent, responsible, and strictly administered policy” on military exports and abided by the relevant UN resolutions.
