French Weapons Reportedly Used in Sudan’s War Despite UN Arms Embargo – Amnesty International.
Amnesty International has reported that French-made military technology is being used in Sudan’s ongoing civil war, despite the United Nations’ arms embargo on the country. The rights organization stated that vehicles supplied to Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a militia group active in the Darfur region, have been equipped with French military systems, including the Galix defence system, which helps protect against close-range attacks.
These vehicles, supplied by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), are reported to be actively involved in the deadly conflict between the RSF and the Sudanese army, led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The RSF, commanded by Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, has been fighting the Sudanese army since the beginning of the civil war in April 2023. The conflict escalated as a result of a power struggle between the two former allies.
Amnesty’s Secretary-General Agnès Callamard said, “Our research shows that weaponry designed and manufactured in France is in active use on the battlefield in Sudan,” adding that these weapons could facilitate serious human rights violations, including possible war crimes. France has not yet responded to the allegations, and the UAE has denied supplying arms to the RSF.
The UN had initially imposed an arms embargo on Darfur in 2004, following accusations of ethnic cleansing by Sudan’s government forces, particularly targeting the region’s non-Arabic populations. Amnesty International is now calling for the arms embargo to be expanded to cover the whole of Sudan and for stronger measures to monitor arms exports to the country. They have also urged global actors to cease all forms of arms supply to Sudan’s warring factions.
The RSF has been accused of engaging in ethnic cleansing in Darfur, a claim it denies, placing blame instead on local militias. Both the RSF and the Sudanese army have been implicated in war crimes as the war continues to devastate the country, leaving thousands dead and millions displaced.
Source: BBC News
