Amnesty Reports French Weapons Used in Sudan War Defying UN Embargo

Amnesty International has reported the use of French military systems in Sudan’s civil war, violating a UN arms embargo. The Rapid Support Forces employ these technologies, prompting calls for French companies to cease exports to the UAE. The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant human rights abuses and a humanitarian crisis, with thousands dead and millions displaced, underscoring the need for intervention and accountability.

Amnesty International has reported that French military equipment is being utilized in Sudan’s ongoing civil conflict, in violation of a United Nations arms embargo. The rights organization asserts that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a militia group involved in the violence, is using vehicles supplied by the United Arab Emirates that are equipped with French-made systems. Amnesty’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard, stated, “Our research shows that weaponry designed and manufactured in France is in active use on the battlefield in Sudan.” The Galix defense system, developed by French companies KNDS and Lacroix, is reportedly employed to counter close-range attacks by land forces. Amnesty has warned that such weaponry could lead to significant human rights abuses and has urged the French government to prevent further exports. Despite the allegations, French officials have remained silent on the issue, while the UAE has consistently denied supplying arms to the RSF. Moreover, Amnesty shared verified images of vehicles with the Galix system that had been destroyed on the battlefield. The organization emphasizes that if France cannot ensure that its arms will not be re-exported to Sudan, it must not permit such transactions. Following the UN’s 2004 arms embargo on Darfur, Amnesty has called for the embargo to extend throughout Sudan and for enhanced oversight mechanisms amid rising violence since the outbreak of civil war last year. The RSF, led by General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, is currently in conflict with Sudan’s regular army headed by Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. Both factions have faced accusations of war crimes, including allegations of ethnic cleansing against non-Arab populations in Darfur, claims both sides deny. The protracted conflict has led to thousands of fatalities and the displacement of millions of individuals. With growing concerns over the humanitarian crisis, Amnesty continues to advocate for an immediate halt to all forms of arms supplies to the warring factions in Sudan.

The civil war in Sudan has escalated since April 2023, following a violent power struggle between former allies General Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, leading the RSF, and General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, who heads the regular army. The conflict has roots in long-standing ethnic tensions, particularly in Darfur, where an arms embargo has been in place since 2004 due to allegations of ethnic cleansing. As violence escalates, both internal and international responses focus on mitigating human rights violations and addressing the dire humanitarian situation.

Amnesty International’s report highlights the troubling use of French military technology in Sudan despite an existing UN arms embargo. The involvement of the RSF in serious human rights abuses compounds the urgency for action from the French government and the international community. Humanitarian organizations are calling for an immediate cessation of arms supplies to all factions in the conflict, emphasizing the need for accountability and protection of civilian lives in Sudan.

Original Source: www.bbc.com