AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA
PRESS RELEASE

August 24, 2007

(Washington, DC)--Amnesty International released today new photographs illustrating the Sudanese government's continued deployment of offensive military equipment in Darfur despite the United Nations arms embargo and peace agreements.

"Sudan flaunts its impudence of the UN arms embargo and peace agreements by persisting to send arms into Darfur," said Larry Cox, Amnesty International USA's executive director. "An embargo is only effective if it there are repercussions for defiance. The U.N. Security Council must strongly enforce this embargo immediately. Placing U.N. observers at all ports of entry in Sudan and Darfur is a good place to start."

The photographs, sent to Amnesty International and the International Peace Information Service in Antwerp by eyewitnesses in Darfur, reinforce evidence provided in Amnesty International's May 2007 report "Sudan: Arms continuing to fuel serious human rights violations in Darfur." Taken in July at El Geneina airport in Darfur, the new photographs show:

• Containers being offloaded by Sudanese army soldiers from an Antonov aircraft onto military trucks at the military apron of El Geneina airport. The Russian-supplied Antonov 12 freighter aircraft with registration number ST-ASA is listed as operated by Azza Transport, itself under investigation by the UN Panel of Experts on the Sudan arms embargo for arms transfers into Darfur (photograph 1).
• Mi-17 military helicopter (registration number 534) belonging to the Sudanese Air Force at El Geneina (photograph 2). Russia signed a deal to supply at least 15 such helicopters for delivery in 2005 and 2006.
• A Russian-supplied Mi-24 attack helicopter with registration number 928 redeployed to El Geneina airport from Nyala, Darfur (photograph 3). Russia supplied 12 such attack helicopters to Sudan in 2005.

Aerial attacks by the Sudanese government on civilians in Darfur continue, with the U.N. reporting air attacks in North Darfur at the end of June. Thousands of displaced villagers have fled the Jebel Moon/Sirba area in West Darfur after renewed attacks on areas under control of armed opposition groups by government of Sudan forces supported by Janjawid. Local people said that helicopters brought in arms to the government and Janjawid forces. In South Darfur, a Sudanese government Antonov aircraft carried out bombing raids following a August 2 attack by the opposition Justice and Equality Movement on the town of Adila, targeting villages and water points. Since then, a number of Sudanese government Antonov bombing raids have taken place in Ta'alba, near the town of Adila, and on August 13 the villages of Habib Suleiman and Fataha were bombed. An Antonov capable of such raids was reportedly transferred from Russia to Sudan in September 2006.

Amnesty International is also concerned by reports of armed Sudanese border patrol guards at El Geneina using militarized Land Rover 4x4 vehicles in civilian settlements. This presents a serious threat to civilians because the Sudanese government has incorporated large numbers of Janjawid militia into the border guard, as well as the Popular Defense Force (PDF) and Reserve Police, without ensuring that those responsible for serious human rights violations are excluded.

The proliferation of small arms and militarized vehicles in Darfur has led to an increase in armed attacks on aid convoys and other devastating attacks against civilians. The Sudanese government has consistently failed to stop such attacks by ethnic groups using the government's own arms and vehicles. On July 31, in the latest of a series of attacks, the northern Rizeigat group - many dressed in the uniforms of the border intelligence - mounted an attack on the Tarjem group that left at least 68 people dead. Using scores of militarized vehicles, and armed with rocket propelled grenades and machine guns, the northern Rizeigat shot indiscriminately as they entered Gawaya village, where hundreds were gathered to mourn those killed in an attack four days before. Both the northern Rizeigat and the Tarjem groups identify themselves as Arabs and have been members of the Janjawid and of various Sudanese government backed paramilitary forces such as the Popular Defense Force (PDF).

On July 31, 2007, the U.N. Security Council agreed through U.N. Resolution 1769 to send a newly strengthened African Union-United Nations hybrid force to Darfur. The resolution fails, however, to provide peacekeepers with the mandate to disarm or demobilize government-backed Janjawid militia and the Darfur armed opposition groups.

"The U.N. Security Council must give U.N. peacekeepers the ability to remove weapons from all parties involved in the conflict," said Cox. "Otherwise, the ability to effectively protect civilians and usher in a lasting peace will remain elusive."

Notes to editors
U.N .arms embargo: On March 29, 2005, the U.N. Security Council, in Resolution 1591, imposed a comprehensive arms embargo on all parties to the conflict in Darfur, including the Sudanese government. This expanded the July 30, 2004 U.N. arms embargo imposed through Resolution 1556 on all non-governmental groups, including the Janjawid militia, operating in the states of North Darfur, South Darfur and West Darfur. In accordance with paragraph seven of Resolution 1591 (2005), any deployment of military equipment and supplies into the Darfur region may only be made if previously approved by the U.N. Sanctions Committee on Sudan. The U.N. Panel of Experts monitoring the arms embargo on Darfur has repeatedly said that such deployments constitute a violation of resolution 1591 (2005) and as far as Amnesty International knows, no such permission has been granted by the U.N. Sanctions Committee on Sudan.

Darfur peace agreements: The U.N. Security Council also demanded that the Sudanese government and two armed opposition groups, the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and the Justice and Equality Movement, respect the April 8 N'djamena Ceasefire Agreement and the November 9, 2004 Abuja Humanitarian and Security Protocols which, among other things, require the Sudanese government to disarm and demobilize the Janjawid militia, downsize and restrict the movement of the Popular Defense Forces and "refrain from supplying or acquiring arms and ammunition."

Azza Transport: On February 24, 2007 an Antonov-12 (ST-AQE) operated by Azza Transport, although belonging to United Arabian Airlines, had crash-landed at El Geneina airport while carrying arms and military personnel (122mm two artillery howitzers and 40 to 50 olive drab wooden boxes suspected to contain arms and ammunition). On May 29, 2007, Azza Transport was added to the economic sanctions list of the U.S. Government Office of Foreign Assets Control for "constituting a threat to peace and stability in Darfur," and for having "directly or indirectly supplied, sold, or transferred arms or any related material to belligerents in Darfur."

Amnesty International USA Responds to the Darfur Crisis
Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) in June broke new ground by launching "Eyes on Darfur," a project incorporating newly acquired commercial satellite images of Darfur to help protect 12 intact but vulnerable villages caught on the frontline of the conflict. AIUSA is inviting people around the world to log on to their computers (www.eyesondarfur.com) to protect these strategic areas and alert Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir that the villages are being watched.

To support its efforts on Darfur and inspire a new generations of human rights activists, AIUSA in June also launched the CD "Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur," a collection of iconic John Lennon songs recorded by today's best-selling artists, including Green Day, U-2, Christina Aguilera and others. The project (www.instantkarma.org) is directing a global petition at heads of state urging them to live up to their promises on Darfur.

For electronic copies of the photographs discussed above, please contact the AIUSA media office at 202.544.0200x302.

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