Arms Trade Treaty Campaign Briefing - Amnesty International

Part of an S-5M 57mm HE fragmentationrocket, recovered after an attack in February2008 involving armed opposition groups inN’Djamena, Chad. During two days of fighting,hundreds of civilians were killed or injured.5main arms sUppliers to ChadAmnesty International has documentedarms transfers to Chad involving a numberof countries including Belgium, France,Libya, Serbia, and South Africa. According to UN trade data, between2003 and 2010, France sold nearly US$4.7million worth of arms and ammunition toChad. However, in actual exports, the bulkof this figure relates to the delivery of nearlyUS$4.3 million worth of “munitions of war”in 2008 – the year in which the offensivetook place in N’Djamena. Annualgovernment reports on arms exports fromFrance to Chad between 2006 and 2010record approximately US$24.8 million,excluding military and civilian equipmentdonated by France to the Chadianauthorities. On 14 February 2008, theFrench Ministry of Defence acknowledgedthat the French army had assisted theChadian government in transportingammunition from Libya into Chad. In 2006, Serbia exported nearlyUS$900,000 worth of “other cartridges andparts thereof” to Chad, according to UNdata. A Chadian end-use certificate dated4 July 2006 and presented by an Israelibroker to the Serb authorities requestedthe sale of two million rounds of 5.56mmammunition for the “Forces Armées” andthe “Sécurité de la République du Tchad”. On 3 March 2007, there were reportsthat an order of 40 French-made AML 90armoured tanks, delivered to Belgium fromSouth Africa, had arrived in Chad. Theywere reportedly for use in the east of thecountry near the Sudanese border. ABelgian company known to supply suchvehicles declined Amnesty International’srequest to confirm or deny the delivery.However, the Belgian authorities statedthat no approval had been granted to shiparmoured vehicles to Chad. Instead,authorization was given to sell armouredvehicles to France, without any restrictionsas to further sales or transfers.Information on clandestine arms supplies toChadian armed opposition groups based inDarfur, Sudan, is more difficult to obtain.However, there is evidence that they havebeen using Chinese small arms and lightweapons. Examples include arms capturedfrom the Union of Forces of Democracyand Development and admissions byanother opposition group, the Rally ofForces for Change, both in 2007. In 2006,members of armed opposition group, theUnited Front for Democratic Change, werephotographed carrying Chinese-madeQLZ87 35mm automatic grenade launchersoutside the town of El Geneina in westernDarfur, near the Chadian border. Thegroup’s commander had just claimedto have visited China.recommeNdatioNsThe Chadian government should: Immediately disclose the fate andwhereabouts of Ibni Oumar Mahamat Salehand promptly inform his family and his legalrepresentative. Initiate an independent and impartialinvestigation into his enforceddisappearance and bring those responsibleto justice.index: aCt 30/001/2012 amnesty international January 2012