Ukraine supplying weapons to Darfur rebels through Eritrea: report
Sudan Tribune/Kyiv Post, France/Ukraine
February 16, 2010
(KHARTOUM) – A Ukrainian weapons company has been shipping arms to rebels fighting in Sudan’s Western region of Darfur, according to a Russian newspaper.
Vremya Novostei reported that according to the data that appeared in Kiev, Ukrainian company Ukrspetsexport supplied artillery systems and small arms with assistance of intermediaries through the territory of Eritrea.
The report if true would be a violation to UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution 1556 and 1591 adopted in 2004 and 2005 respectively which prohibited the sale or supply of arms and military equipment to all warring parties in Darfur.
A UN panel of experts revealed last year that an increasing portion of ammunition and military-adapted vehicles used by all parties to the conflict was produced within the past two to three years — after the arms embargo was imposed.
This demonstrates "an increasing rate of violation" of the embargo, it said.
The newspaper further said Sudanese government will receive this month 100 T-72M tanks from Ukrspetsexport. The latter is shipping the tanks to Port Sudan in accordance with a contract signed in 2009 worth $70 million.
A batch of Ukrainian small arms and ammunition, as well as anti-personnel mines and antitank mines was delivered to Government of South Sudan (GoSS) through a private company registered in an offshore zone, the report claims.
In 2008 Somali pirates hijacked a Ukrainian ship carrying 33 Soviet-era T-72 tanks plus other weapons. Its seizure drew international attention, not only for its military cargo, but for a regional row over the destination of the tanks.
Kenya said it had bought the tanks for its army but foreign diplomats said the arms were bound for south Sudan.
The small arms survey said in a report last year that militaries in north and south Sudan are engaged in an arms race that risks plunging the nation back into civil war ahead of elections and self determination referendum.
Southern officials accuse their former civil war foes from the north of arming rival tribal militia to destabilize their region before the election and referendum. Khartoum denies it.
Some 2 million people died and 4 million fled between 1983 and 2005 as the Muslim north and mostly Christian south fought over differences in ideology, ethnicity and religion.
The report said China and Iran continued to be the main source of weapons that were adding to turmoil in the country.
The Kanwa Defense Review Monthly magazine said last July that China sold Sudan an unknown number of WS-2 multi-launch rocket systems. This is the first time this system is exported by China to any country.
weapons company has been shipping arms to rebels fighting in Sudan’s Western region of Darfur, according to a Russian newspaper.
5 Comments
Getting desperate to associate Eritrea with Sudan, Iran, Israel, Yemen Houtis, Hamas, what next ?
It is a continuation of the western world fabrication with biased information to blacken the name of eritrea.
A Media Campaign of Endless Lies and Deceptions
The Sudan Tribune in its Wednesday 17 February 2010 edition quoting the Kiev Times reported that a Ukrainian company Ukrspetsexport supplied artillery systems and small arms to the rebels in Chad through the territory of Eritrea. The story picked by Sudan Tribune is an outright lie and a fabrication without any shred of truth whatsoever.
This irresponsible and poisonous report is part and parcel of the endless campaign of lies and deceptions being perpetrated by some quarters, designed to tarnish the image of Eritrea and furthermore, a futile attempt to sow seeds of discord to the warm and brotherly relations between Eritrea and Sudan.
Eritrea’s territory has never been used as transit to supply arms to anyone group in the Sudan or any other place in the region. Eritrea enjoys exemplary warm relations with the government and people of Sudan. Despite the dissemination of lies and deceits by forces with subterraneous motives and who aspire to benefit from instability and chaos in our region, Eritrea firmly reiterates that it will relentlessly strive for peace and stability in the Sudan and the region at large.
How long shall the western countries have this mush control over us,How can a ship be send to a african country without protection,knowing exactly thet pirates and rebels are in numbers,Africans shuld weak up and stop fighting for stupied things like religion who cares which religion you full under
It’s so sad when one poor third world country kidnaps a ship whose crew are men with families from another third world country just trying to make a living.