Human rights watchdog Amnesty International has accused China and Russia of breaching a United Nations arms embargo by continuing to supply weapons to the Sudanese authorities for use in Darfur.

A report by Amnesty says the weapons end up in the hands of the government-backed Janjaweed militia. It includes apparent photographic evidence of Sudan using military aircraft camouflaged white in Darfur. It says Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Belarus have also been supplying weapons.
The report also provides photographs of what it says was an Mi-24 attack helicopter at Nyala in Darfur and says its registration markings show it was a replacement for another. The images were reportedly taken between January and March, during which time Amnesty says Chinese Fanfan jets were also seen at Nyala.

One of the authors of the Amnesty report, Brian Wood, has called on Russia and China to comply with the embargo to protect the civilians of Darfur.

“We’re talking about the worst humanitarian catastrophe on the planet,” he said.

“Both the governments of the People’s Republic of China and the Russian Federation need to reign in all their arms supplies and munitions supplies to Sudan as part of a package of measures needed to help get the human rights of the people of Darfur back again.”

Amnesty International also accuses Sudan of continuing to target civilians in indiscriminate air attacks, in support of Janjaweed militia operations against rebel groups.

Sudan has dismissed Amnesty’s accusations as lies.

Its UN ambassador, Mahmoud Abdel-Haleem, has rejected Amnesty’s photographic evidence of the use of military aircraft in Darfur.

“Our reaction to the Amnesty International allegations is very easy - it is a total rejection as it is baseless and unfounded,” he told the BBC.

“These photos may be a plane in the Central African Republic or maybe for one in south Sudan, but it is not in Darfur. We are not on combat missions in Darfur at all.”

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