Egypt Daily News – Military technology manufactured in France and integrated into armored personnel carriers made by the United Arab Emirates is being used on the battlefield in Sudan in what likely constitutes a violation of the UN arms embargo on Darfur, Amnesty International said in a new investigation.
Amnesty International had monitored the presence of “armored” personnel carriers in various parts of Sudan made in the United Arab Emirates. These armored carriers, used by the Rapid Support Forces, include advanced reactive defense systems designed and manufactured in France.
The investigation – which Amnesty International published on its website today – stated that the Galix system – manufactured by Lacroix Defense in cooperation with Nexter – is a defense system for ground forces that fires bait, smoke and missiles to confront near-range threats.
Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, called on countries to stop direct and indirect supplies of all weapons and ammunition to the warring parties in Sudan, stressing that the use of the Rapid Support Forces (GSF) system in this conflict, and any use of it in Darfur, would be a clear violation of the arms embargo imposed by the United Nations.
The French government must ensure that Lacroix Defense and KNDS France stop supplying this system to the UAE immediately. Callamard stressed that the continuous flow of weapons to Sudan causes enormous human suffering and enhances the chances of the conflict continuing.
The European Union has imposed an arms embargo on the entire Sudan since 1994. The embargo prohibits the sale, supply, transfer or export of arms and related materials of all types, including weapons, ammunition, vehicles, military equipment, paramilitary equipment and spare parts to Sudan.
