A New York-based humanrights group is asking the Russian Federation to suspend all arms sales toSudan following media reports that Moscow recently sold 12 MiG-29 fighter jetsto Khartoum.Human Rights First isurging Russia to take steps to ensure that the war planes are not used toattack civilians or rebel groups in Sudan?s conflict-riddent western region ofDarfur.Julia Fromholz directs HumanRights First?s Crimes Against Humanity Program.From Washington, she says that rights groups oppose such sales, not only because they violate aninternational arms embargo against Khartoum, but also because given the Bashirgovernment?s track record on the conflict, Russia and other countries thatviolate the embargo cannot be expected to trust Khartoum?s word that the planesand other arms will not be used in Darfur.
?It?s difficult for any country to get guaranteesthat one can trust because for the past five years, if not more, the governmentof Sudan has made numerous promises about ceasefires and other actions thatthey will or will not take, and they have a strong history of breaking everyone of them,? she said.
Between 2004 and 2007 Sudan purchased at least 33military aircraft from the Russian Federation and obtained other arms andtraining from the Russians.Fromholzsays this was irresponsible for Russia to do since Sudan continues to acquirearms for use in Darfur in clear violation of a 2004-2005 UN Security Councilembargo on the sale and supply of weapons to belligerents in Darfur and theinternational community has done very little to stop the deals.
?There?s a report that?s in the works right nowthat lays out in very clear language specific instances of various countriesviolating the arms embargo.So plentyof evidence is there for the international community, starting with the UN totake some action against these countries that are violating the embargo that ithas put in place.Yet there is very,very little response by anyone at the UN about these violations,? Fromholznotes.
Not only does Human Rights First urge punishmentfor more than 30 nations that continue to sell weapons to Khartoum.It also asks those countries to suspendshipments immediately.One way to getSudan to respect the Darfur arms embargo is for the Security Council to extendits restriction on sales to all parts of Sudan.Julia Fromholz says Human Rights First is advocating thatindividual countries act on their own ahead of the Security Council to imposebilateralrestraints on Khartoum.
?It would happen a lot faster. If countriesdeclared on their own that they would halt sales of weapons, they could haltthem tomorrow.And a UN SecurityCouncil resolution would take a much, much longer time.And if the country makes that declarationand does it in good faith, then there would be some assurance that they wouldactually stop them.With the UN embargothat?s more punitive, we?d be in the same boat of having to monitor it and thenhold countries to account for breaking it,? she notes.
The human rights official says she sees a uniqueopportunity for US policy to make a breakthrough on the Darfur crisis with theimpending change of administrations.
?It?s an interesting time rightnow because there are some that believe that the Sudanese government wouldrather deal with President Bush than with President-Elect Obama because someadvisers of President-Elect Obama have been very, very strong in their condemnationof the government of Sudan and in their recommendations for how to deal withthe government of Sudan.I would liketo see President Obama focus on consequences for actions that have or have notbeen taken. I would like to see President Obama try to strengthen the backboneof some of our allies and some other countries around the world that aren?t ourtypical allies, but could be very helpful in trying to bring some spine to theUN Security Council behind this embargo that they cared enough to impose,? shesaid.