HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH ask South Africa to bar arms transfers to any party in the
war in Sudan
In a letter to the South African government, Human Rights Watch/Africa and the
HRW Arms Project ask South Africa to take steps to guarantee that arms it sells
are not used in the conflict in Sudan. This would include preventing other
states from transferring the arms to the government of Sudan, to the rebel Sudan
People's Liberation Army, and to others fighting in Sudan.
A copy of the letter to South African President Nelson Mandela follows.
Dear President Mandela,
Your Defence Minister Joe Modise was quoted by the South African Press Agency on
August 7, 1997, as saying that the South African National Defense Forces
(SANDF) is planning to sell excess anti-aircraft weapons, Buffel infantry
vehicles, Puma helicopters, and other war material.
Human Rights Watch writes to request that you do not transfer any weapons,
either those mentioned or others, to any party to the conflict in Sudan. Both
the Sudanese government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) are
guilty of gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law,
as we have documented in numerous reports.
We note that South Africa has a policy of not selling arms to the Sudanese
government or to non-government forces. In order to guarantee that arms you sell
do not end up in the hands of parties to the Sudanese conflict, we request that
you impose restrictions on the end use of all arms your government sells,
forbidding any recepient of South African arms from transfering or using,
directly or indirectly, these weapons to or for the benefit of the parties to
the Sudan conflict. In order to guarantee that this restriction is respected, we
suggest that you adopt provisions such as those outlined in appendix A to this
letter.
The ban on weapons transfers also should be applied specifically to Sudanese
militia groups and muraheleen (tribal militias) operating under government
sponsorship or with implicit consent, and those former rebel groups now
aligned with the government such as Riak Machar's United Democratic Salvation
Front. It should be applied as well to the opposition coalition, the National
Democratic Alliance (NDA), of which the SPLA is an important member.
We are particularly concerned about reports that the SPLA is now seeking to
obtain anti-aircraft weapons to use in the siege of Juba, a southern garrison
town in which at least 100,000 civilians reside; these civilians would be cut
off from necessary airlifts of food should all air transport be
prevented. The Sudanese government is said to be stepping up its use of
helicopters in the war against the SPLA, and has shown no regard for civilian
lives in its attacks to date. Furthermore, there is evidence that the Sudan
government is supplying arms, including but not limited to land mines, to
rebel groups in neighboring countries. One such group, the Ugandan Lord's
Resistance Army, has a particularly bad record of abuses directed at children.
We note that you are now actively involved in the search for peace in Sudan.
Although we do not take a position on peace negotiations, ceasefires, or the
merits of the war, it is clear that the continuing flow of arms into Sudan,
where the parties are already heavily armed, will do nothing to improve the lot
of the civilians who have borne the brunt of the war for fourteen years. We
therefore urge that you insure that no South African arms are used into this
conflict.
Sincerely,
Peter Takirambudde Joost Hiltermann
Executive Director Executive Director
Human Rights Watch/Africa Human Rights Watch
Arms Project
For more information:
Peter Takirambudde 212-972-8400 x 248 (o) (New York)
Jemera Rone 212-838-4792 (h) (New York)
212-972-8400 x 208 (o) (New York)
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SUDAN CATHOLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
Bethany House, P. O. Box 21202, Nairobi, Kenya
tel. +254.2.562247 or 569130, fax 566668
e-mail: scio@maf.org
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For further information, please contact:
Fr. Kizito, SCIO, tel +254.2.562247 - fax +254.2.566668 - e-mail: 