Sudan: French Weapons Found in Sudan War Zone Despite Arms Embargo, Says Amnesty

French-made military equipment fitted to armoured vehicles from the United Arab Emirates is reportedly being used by Sudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in violation of a UN arms embargo in the Darfur region.

An investigation by Amnesty’s found that the Galix system, a defence technology designed by Lacroix Defense in partnership with KNDS France, was mounted on Nimr Ajban armoured vehicles.

The rights group on Thursday shared photos of destroyed vehicles fitted with the system.

“Our research shows that weaponry designed and manufactured in France is in active use on the battlefield in Sudan,” Amnesty secretary general Agnes Callamard said.

The technology, used by land forces globally, can be loaded with ammunition such as smoke, decoys or projectiles. More than 5,000 vehicles worldwide are equipped with it, including some in the French army.

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UN arms embargo

Amnesty said the use of Galix in Darfur breaches the UN arms embargo, which has been in place since 2004. The European Union has also imposed an arms embargo on Sudan since 1994.

Callamard called on France to “immediately stop the supply of this system to the UAE” and urged stronger export controls to ensure compliance.

Fighting has intensified in recent weeks in Sudan’s civil war, which pits the country’s army under Abdel Fattah al-Burhan against the paramilitary RSF led by general Mohamed Hamdan Daglo, a former ally.

Both sides face accusations of war crimes. More than 11 million people – nearly 30 percent of the population – have fled their homes in what the UN describes as the world’s worst displacement crisis.

Amnesty urged France to extend the arms embargo to cover all of Sudan and strengthen export monitoring.

“If France cannot guarantee through export controls, including end user certification, that arms will not be re-exported to Sudan, it should not authorise” exports to countries like the UAE, Amnesty said.

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