Member states split over Sudan arms sales sanctions

EU member states are split over proposals to punish countries that sell arms to the Sudanese government despite an internationally backed arms embargo.

Plans to introduce sanctions against countries breaking the two-year-old UN embargo have the backing of the Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark and the UK, but are facing opposition from other member states.

Efforts to introduce sanctions became more difficult on Tuesday (8 May) when human rights organisation Amnesty International published a report claiming that UN Security Council members China and Russia have supplied weapons and aircraft to the Sudanese government.

In 2005 UN Security Council members unanimously supported the extension of an arms embargo to stop atrocities in Darfur.

Amnesty alleges that some of the weapons, including Russia-made MI-24 helicopter gunships, have been used in raids on Darfur. China and Russia have both denied the claims.

"Obviously sanctions against countries breaking the embargo will be incredibly difficult at UN level for the time being because of Chinese and Russia membership of the Security Council, so it should be put on the EU agenda," said an EU diplomat.

The issue is to be discussed on Monday (14 May) when EU foreign, development and defence ministers meet in Brussels, but diplomats said that Germany was struggling to balance the need to act on Darfur and to maintain cordial relations with Russia and China.

According to Dutch centre-left MEP Max van den Berg, the German presidency must live up to its commitments on Darfur.

"[German Chancellor] Angela Merkel has said that if things are blocked at a UN level then we have to do something at a European level. These words now have to be put into action."

Berlin wants to postpone discussions on Sudan until the following meeting of EU foreign ministers on 18 June. That would delay the discussion until after an EU-Russia summit scheduled for 18 May in the Russian city of Samara.

The success of the summit is already in question because of disputes over a Russian ban on Polish agricultural imports, a row with Estonia over a Soviet monument, a disagreement over oil supplies to Lithuania and trade disputes about Russia’s bid to join the World Trade Organization.

On Wednesday (9 May), the Russian authorities announced that the main road between Estonia and Russia would be closed for trucks over 3.5 tonnes until repairs are made.

EU member states are split over proposals to punish countries that sell arms to the Sudanese government despite an internationally backed arms embargo.