French weapons used in Sudan violate UN embargo says Amnesty
An investigation by Amnesty International released on November 14th has found that French-manufactured military technology being used in Sudan by the RSF in what likely violates a UN embargo, according to Middle East Eye and agencies.
The Galix System, which is produced by Lacroix Defense and, jointly designed with Nexter (now KNDS France), is made for land forces. It releases decoys, smoke and projectiles to counter close-range threats.
Images shared on social media and verified by Amnesty show the Galix system visible on several Nimr Ajban armoured personnel carriers (APCs) manufactured in the UAE, which the Sudanese Armed Forces have destroyed or captured.
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“The Galix System is being deployed by the RSF in this conflict, and any use in Darfur would be a clear breach of the UN arms embargo,” said Agnes Callamard, Amnesty International’s secretary general.
National, regional and international laws prohibit France from exporting arms where there is a substantial risk that the arms could be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international human rights or humanitarian law.
A UN embargo has been in place on the Darfur region of Sudan for 20 years and an EU arms embargo has been implemented on the whole country for 30.
“If France cannot guarantee through export controls, including end-user certification, that arms will not be re-exported to Sudan, it should not authorise those transfers,” Amnesty said.
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The organisation stressed that all companies have a responsibility to respect human rights. “This responsibility requires companies to conduct human rights due diligence throughout their entire value chain – from the point of origin to the end user – to identify, prevent, and mitigate any actual or potential involvement in human rights abuses.”
They also called for the UN Security Council to expand its arms embargo on Darfur to the whole of Sudan and to strengthen its implementation and verification mechanisms.
“Amnesty International has already shown how the constant flow of arms into Sudan is causing immense human suffering,” Callamard said. “All countries must immediately cease direct and indirect supplies of all arms and ammunition to the warring parties in Sudan. They must respect and enforce the UN Security Council’s arms embargo regime on Darfur before even more civilian lives are lost.”
The UN Security Council was told in a high-level briefing on November 12th that some of the wars worst atrocities had been seen in recent days, including sexual violence and indiscriminate killings. It called for an “end of hostilities” in the country earlier this week.
UN under-secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs Rosemary DiCarlo said the RSF had committed mass killings of civilians. She blamed for the recent increase in violence on both warring factions along with the “considerable external support” they were receiving.
“To put it bluntly, certain purported allies of the parties are enabling the slaughter in Sudan. This is unconscionable, it is illegal and it must end,” she said.
Middle East Eye
