Countries accused of breaching Darfur arms embargo

By Kate Kelland

LONDON (Reuters) - Human rights group Amnesty International accused Russia and China on Tuesday of breaching a U.N. arms embargo by letting weapons into Sudan, where it said they were used in "grave violations" of international law.

Amnesty said it was "deeply dismayed" by the flow of arms allowed by China and Russia, both members of the U.N. Security Council, and said the weapons were often diverted to be used in conflict in Darfur and neighbouring Chad.

"The authority of the Security Council itself is being greatly undermined as the Sudanese authorities and armed groups in Darfur are allowed to act with such obvious impunity before the eyes of the world, importing and diverting arms to commit flagrant violations of international law," Amnesty said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said the accusation was "totally unreasonable", adding China had a "prudent, responsible, and strictly administered policy" on military exports and abided by the relevant U.N. resolutions.

In Russia, the RIA news agency said the Foreign Ministry had also denied the Amnesty accusations. "None of our arms are being supplied to Darfur," it quoted a ministry source as saying. "We unswervingly observe the provisions of the UN resolution banning arms supplies to Darfur."

The United Nations says around 200,000 people have died and more than 2 million have been made homeless since conflict flared in Darfur in 2003 when rebel groups took up arms against the Khartoum government, accusing it of neglect. Khartoum says only 9,000 have lost their lives.

One main group signed a 2006 peace agreement with the government and small factions later committed themselves to the deal, but it has so far failed to stop the violence.

The United Nations accused Khartoum in a report last month of violating U.N. resolutions by flying weapons and other military equipment into Darfur.