Map of Sudan and the Darfur region. Political opponents and victims of the conflict have dismissed Sudan's initiative to resolve the war in Darfur as dead in the water and a cynical attempt to keep the regime in power. (AFP/Ct/Jw)Darfur Arms Embargo=Swiss Cheese?
-- Nukes And Spooks
-- Nukes And Spooks
We end the week with a quick post on a recent report from the nonprofit group Human Rights First on arms sales to Sudan.
The report (a PDF file), which can be found here says that as many as 30 countries may be violating a 2004 United Nations arms embargo meant to stop arms from flowing to Sudan's Darfur region, where the Khartoum government has been accused of fueling genocide by arming militias known as the Janjaweed.
The report found that China is Khartoum's No.1 arms supplier. No surprise there, given Beijing's close ties with the government of Sudan, where it has long been helping to develop the country's disputed oil fields. But China's not alone: Belarus, Cyprus, India, Iran, Kenya, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Slovakia, Spain and Turkey have all sold arms to the Sudanese government, according to the report, which is based on several sources, including U.N. data, and self-reporting by the governments involved.
Read more ....
My Comment: There is too much money to be made .... and there are too many willing buyers.