Sudan Defying Security Council on Darfur, U.N. Says
By WARREN HOGE
Published: April 17, 2007
UNITED NATIONS, April 17 — A confidential United Nations report says the government of Sudan is flying arms and heavy military equipment into Darfur in violation of Security Council resolutions and painting Sudanese military planes white to disguise them as United Nations or African Union aircraft.
In one case, illustrated with close-up pictures, the report says the letters “U.N.” have been stenciled onto the wing of a whitewashed Sudanese armed forces plane parked on a military apron at a Darfur airport. Bombs guarded by uniformed soldiers are laid out in rows by its side.
The report says that contrary to the Sudanese government denials, the freshly painted planes are being operated out of all three of Darfur’s principal airports and used for aerial surveillance and bombardments of villages, in addition to cargo transport. The report was compiled by a five-person panel responsible for helping the Security Council’s sanctions committee monitor compliance with resolutions on Darfur, the war-ravaged region in Sudan. It was made available by a diplomat from one of the 15 Security Council nations, a nation that believes the findings ought to be made public.
More than 200,000 people have died in Darfur and 2.3 million have been uprooted from their homes, largely by repeated attacks from Arab militias supported and equipped by the Sudan government.
But while the report focuses much of its attention on the government, it says that rebel groups fighting the Khartoum government were also guilty of violating Security Council resolutions, peace treaty agreements and humanitarian standards. It recommends a tightening of the arms embargo imposed by the Security Council and other restrictions on activities involving illicit weapons, regardless of who is responsible.
The report covers recent conduct, from September 2006 to March 12, 2007, and emerges a day after Sudan announced it was dropping its objections to large-scale United Nations assistance to the overwhelmed African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur.
The Khartoum government said Monday that it would agree to a force of 3,000 military police officers, along with six attack helicopters and other aviation and logistics support. Left uncertain is whether Sudan will ultimately drop its longstanding resistance to a proposed 21,000-member joint African Union-United Nations force to replace the 7,000-member African Union force that has said it cannot curb the continuing violence.
By WARREN HOGE
Published: April 17, 2007
UNITED NATIONS, April 17 — A confidential United Nations report says the government of Sudan is flying arms and heavy military equipment into Darfur in violation of Security Council resolutions and painting Sudanese military planes white to disguise them as United Nations or African Union aircraft.
In one case, illustrated with close-up pictures, the report says the letters “U.N.” have been stenciled onto the wing of a whitewashed Sudanese armed forces plane parked on a military apron at a Darfur airport. Bombs guarded by uniformed soldiers are laid out in rows by its side.
The report says that contrary to the Sudanese government denials, the freshly painted planes are being operated out of all three of Darfur’s principal airports and used for aerial surveillance and bombardments of villages, in addition to cargo transport. The report was compiled by a five-person panel responsible for helping the Security Council’s sanctions committee monitor compliance with resolutions on Darfur, the war-ravaged region in Sudan. It was made available by a diplomat from one of the 15 Security Council nations, a nation that believes the findings ought to be made public.
More than 200,000 people have died in Darfur and 2.3 million have been uprooted from their homes, largely by repeated attacks from Arab militias supported and equipped by the Sudan government.
But while the report focuses much of its attention on the government, it says that rebel groups fighting the Khartoum government were also guilty of violating Security Council resolutions, peace treaty agreements and humanitarian standards. It recommends a tightening of the arms embargo imposed by the Security Council and other restrictions on activities involving illicit weapons, regardless of who is responsible.
The report covers recent conduct, from September 2006 to March 12, 2007, and emerges a day after Sudan announced it was dropping its objections to large-scale United Nations assistance to the overwhelmed African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur.
The Khartoum government said Monday that it would agree to a force of 3,000 military police officers, along with six attack helicopters and other aviation and logistics support. Left uncertain is whether Sudan will ultimately drop its longstanding resistance to a proposed 21,000-member joint African Union-United Nations force to replace the 7,000-member African Union force that has said it cannot curb the continuing violence.
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