More arms
Hi Feanor
Thanks for the arms sale info
Did a little hunting and there's a lot to look through. I found this not sure how much is true or not. There's an African Military Blog that I saw once that might be able to help. I'll look for it and maybe get some current info this guy seem to have a nice rundown on African armed forces.
This is a quote from a section a little down from the top
In early 2003, an Interim Committee of the Lithuanian Parliament examined the controversy surrounding the export of a Mi-8T helicopter to Sudan by an aircraft repair company, Avia Baltika. The company specialized in Mi8 and Mi17 helicopters and Antonov airplane repairs, overhauls and upgrades, carrying out preliminary refurbishing of helicopters in Russia, then completing the work at its small plant in Lithuania.(37) The Committee’s report states that "the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not approve the application of UAB Avia Baltika of 21 June 2001 for a licence for the export of Mi-8T helicopter to Sudan", but that "the president of Avia Baltika, Jurijus Borisovas, recalled the request for a licence and urgently exported the helicopter to Sudan without a licence on the basis of the procedure which was in place at that time"(38) The Committee concluded that "The actions of exporting a Mi-8T helicopter to Sudan in 2001 did not violate the Lithuanian law which was effective at that time, however, it ran counter to the principles of an embargo of the European Union and EU sanctions."(39) Subsequently, the government of Lithuania amended the law and in December 2002 placed Sudan on a list of embargoed destinations.
The Interim Committee also reported that "in February 2003, at Karmelava Airport, officers of the Customs Crime Service detained a Mi-17 helicopter, which had to be transported, through Sudan, to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This helicopter was repaired by Helisota, as commissioned by a company registered in Cambodia. The detained helicopter was released after the route was changed and the helicopter was taken directly to the UAE."(40) According to the report, the President of Avia Baltika and some of the company’s staff "refused to answer several questions of the Committee members, including questions about the company’s activities, the circumstances of it being founded, its owners and links with Russian companies. Questions about Mi-8T helicopter, exported to Sudan in summer 2001, were not answered either."(41)
In October 2003, Lithuania’s State Security Department (VSD) delivered a report to Parliament, which amongst other things, claimed that the same aircraft repair company was involved in the supply of spare parts for helicopters and MiG-24 jet planes to Sudan and other EU or UN embargoed destinations between 2001 and 2003.(42)
On the 22 May 2003, a contract for the supply of spare parts for civilian and combat Mi-17 helicopters was signed in Moscow between the Sudanese Ministry of Defence and Heli Lift Co Ltd, a company based in Khartoum and allegedly with close links to Avia Baltika,(43) The VSD said that office of Avia Baltika in Russia (SPARK helicopter repairs) had signed a trade agreement with Heli Lift for the supply of helicopter parts to the Sudanese Ministry of Defence.(44) Specialists from Avia Baltika and its partners were reportedly working in Sudan.(45) The company denied all allegations of illicit trade in strategic commodities.
Russian Federation:
In July 2004, the Sudanese government announced the import of 12 MiG-29 jet fighters to Sudan at the same time as the Sudanese government was being accused in the United Nations Security Council of supporting Sudanese militia in a campaign of ethnic cleansing in Darfur.(46) On 21 August 2004, the Russian government dismissed any connection between the delivery of fighter planes to Sudan and the escalating conflict in Darfur. The Russian envoy to the UN said that the sending of Russian fighters to Sudan was to fulfil an agreement signed between the two countries in December 2001.(47)
The Russian Aircraft Corporation (RSK MiG) is the supplier of these jets. This was confirmed to reporters by Mikhail Dmitriyev, head of the Committee on Military and Technical Cooperation with Foreign Countries. According to one report, a Sudanese official was quoted as saying that "The first pair of MiG-29 jets reached Sudan in December 2003 and two more were delivered in January 2004. The rest are expected to reach Sudan during this year." The value of the contract is estimated at between US$120 and US$370 million.(48)
Link to where I found the above
http://asiapacific.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAFR541392004?open&of=ENG-SDN
