Russia Foments Genocide in Darfor
Filed under: Africa ~ Europe ~ Russia ~ Sudan
That's a photograph of Russian Mi-24 attack helicopter on the tarmac in Darfur, Sudan.
What's it doing there, you ask? Didn't the United Nations enact an arms embargo on the Khartoum regime as a way of trying to stop the horrendous genocide occurring in the country? Sure they did! It was July 2004, almost three years ago. And now Amnesty International says that Russia and its partner in slime China have both run the embargo to supply millions of dollars in weaponry now being used to slaughter innocent people and eradicate democracy in this troubled nation. Read Amnesty's full report here. According to Amnesty:
In 2005, the Russian Federation exported to Sudan $21 million worth of aircraft and associated equipment including spare parts and $13.7 million of helicopters, adding to its substantial arms deliveries in previous years.The use of various types of military helicopters, particularly the Russian Mi-24 helicopter gunships acquired by the Sudan Air Force, to launch attacks in Darfur in which civilians are subjected to indiscriminate fire is of particular concern to Amnesty International, as outlined further below. It is a matter of international concern that for several years the Sudan Air Force has used this type of attack helicopter for operations during Janjawid indiscriminate attacks on villages in Al Darfur. For example, on 15 November 2006, soldiers of the Sudanese armed forces and armed militia, supported by helicopter gunships, attacked several villages in the Birmaza area, killing at least three civilians, torching dozens of houses and destroying four relief halls of an international non-governmental organization. Given the previous pattern of indiscriminate attacks over the past four years and the fact that the Government of Sudan still refuses to recognise the authority of the UN Sanctions Committee to move such weapons into Darfur, there remains danger of further such indiscriminate attacks.
Once again, Russia flouts international law, heedless of the consequences, in return for "gains" which can only be described as illusory.
Looks like a job for Super Bono!
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