South Sudan rebels use Chinese, Iranian arms

Small arms made in Chinese and Iran are being widely used by rebels fighting against South Sudan’s government.

It is believed that the rebels, who are accused of causing instability in South Sudan, are acquiring the weapons through Sudan.

Sudan has been buying weapons from the two countries since the country started exporting oil in 1997, the Small Arms Survey Bulletin reveals. In 1997, the United States imposed economic sanctions against Sudan over claims that it was sponsoring international terrorism.

It was against this backdrop that Sudan turned to China, which was conveniently hungry for oil.

“Close inspection, interviews with defectors and comparison of thousands of samples across Sudan and South Sudan’s conflict areas, reveals that large quantities of mostly Chinese, Iranian, and Sudanese manufactured weapons were supplied from Sudan’s security forces to Southern insurgent groups,” notes the brief.

Among the most common weapons used are Chinese assault rifles, Sudanese and Chinese ammunition and Iranian and Sudanese RPG-7 launchers.

The brief notes that the majority of RPG-7 launchers used by Southern insurgents are manufactured in Iran and Sudan.

However, both China and Iran have no direct role in supporting South Sudan rebels. While Sudan has been supporting rebel groups in proxy wars against South Sudan, it also accuses the Juba administration of supporting the Darfur rebels. But an agreement signed in early November between the two sides could see an end to these hostilities.

The two sides agreed not to support rebels on each other’s territory and to co-operate on weapon control, community and humanitarian issues.

The agreement will see South Sudan army patrol the joint border more actively, to restrict operations of rebel groups from within its territory.

The agreement comes in the wake of new evidence that suggests that there is diminishing rebel activity in South Sudan attributed to the unconditional amnesty given by President Salva Kiir to the rebel fighters.

This is according to a new report “Pendulum Swings: The Rise and Fall of Insurgent Militias in South Sudan,” released by the Small Arms Survey’s Human Security Baseline Assessment (HSBA) for Sudan and South Sudan.

Sudanese political analyst Dr Alex Ghal Kor said the two sides have realised that unrealistic proxy wars will only retard development at a time when their peers are working together.

“I believe what the East African leaders are doing in terms of joint infrastructure development planning is inspiring the two Sudans to start thinking positively instead of engaging in expensive conflicts,” he said.

He said the substantial loss of oil wealth to South Sudan means that Khartoum cannot afford sustained support for insurgents as it is facing its own domestic financial problems.

“For strategic reasons, Khartoum must swallow pride and make peace with the South because there is opportunity for Juba to develop the sea route through Kenya’s road, railway and pipeline and therefore completely sideline Khartoum,” he said.

Source: www.theeastafrican.co.ke