Weapon Supplies from China, Russia, Turkey and United Arab Emirates Fuelling Sudanese War, by Kestér Kenn Klomegâh

In the latest Amnesty International’s report titled, “New Weapons Fuelling the Sudan Conflict” released on July 24, indicated that new weapons supplied by China, Russia, Turkey, Russia and United Arab Emirates are exacerbating the war and aggravating the economic situation in Sudan.

The report, at length, details how foreign weapons are being transferred into and around Sudan, in flagrant violation of the existing arms embargo on Darfur. “The constant flow of arms into Sudan is continuing to cause civilian death and suffering on an immense scale. This is a humanitarian crisis that cannot be ignored,” said Deprose Muchena, Senior Director for Regional Human Rights Impact at Amnesty International.

The study shows that weapons entering the country are ending up in the hands of fighters who are accused of humanitarian and human rights law violations. Amnesty methodically tracked a range of lethal weapons –handguns, shotguns, and rifles – used by the warring forces and calls for a blanket arms embargo on Sudan.

 “It is clear that the existing arms embargo that currently applies only to Darfur is completely inadequate, and must be updated and extended to cover the whole of Sudan. As the threat of famine looms large, the world cannot continue to fail civilians in Sudan,” Muchena said.

At least 16,650 people have been killed since the escalation in conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in April 2023. More than 11 million people are estimated to have been internally displaced, and millions are at imminent risk of famine.

Amnesty International has documented civilian casualties from both indiscriminate strikes and direct attacks on civilians. Some of the violations of international humanitarian law by the parties to the conflict amount to war crimes.

The organisation analysed 1,900 shipment records from two different trade data providers and reviewed open source and digital evidence – including approximately 2,000 photos and videos – showing weapons recently manufactured or recently imported in Sudan. 

It also interviewed 17 regional arms and Sudan experts between February and March 2024 to corroborate the data analysis and investigate arms supply lines used by various groups. Advanced Chinese-made drone jammers, mortars, and anti-tank rifles have been used by both sides in the conflict. A variety of recently manufactured armoured personnel carriers from the United Arab Emirates have been used by the RSF.

According to Amnesty, trade data at shipment level indicates that hundreds of thousands of unmodified rifles have been exported by Turkish companies to Sudan in recent years, along with millions of blank cartridges. It, however, warns that these can be converted into lethal weapons on a large scale, highlighting the need for closer scrutiny of this largely unregulated trade.

By supplying arms to Sudan, States parties to the Arms Trade Treaty – such as China and Serbia – are violating their legal obligations under Articles 6 and 7 of the treaty and undermining the legally binding framework that regulates the global arms trade.

Over 5.8 million were internally displaced and more than 1.5 million others had fled the country as refugees. As of April 2024, the United Nations reported that more than 8.6 million people have been forced out of their homes, while 18 million are facing severe hunger, five million of them are at emergency levels.

Sudan has some natural resources, but it is one of the poorest countries in Africa. In 2011, Sudan separated into two, Sudan and South Sudan. Currently, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan  and his deputy, Hemedti, head of the heavily armed paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), are in power struggles to control Sudan.