China Says There's Nothing More It Can Do For Darfur

China’s Assistant Foreign Minister Zhai Jun has proclaimed that his country has done all it can do to help end the conflict in Darfur. “We have done as much as we can do. China remains committed to resolving the Darfur issue and has made unremitting efforts,” said Zhai. Yet China has yet to take one easy and practical step that would no doubt help end the conflict: halt its substantial arms sales to the Government of Sudan. Sources in the region tell Human Rights First that the Sudanese government is shipping weapons to Darfur on nearly a daily basis where they are used by government forces and proxy militia (called Janjaweed) to kill, displace, rape and maim civilians. Such arms transfers into Darfur have been unlawful since the Security Council imposed Darfur arms embargo was expanded to cover the Government of Sudan in 2005. While China cannot end the violence in Darfur, it can stop its arms sales to Sudan. Such action will help create the conditions under which peace is possible in a region where hundreds of thousands have died and millions continue to suffer.