French defence systems in Sudanese conflict likely breach UN arms embargo, Amnesty International warns
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Amnesty International has raised concerns that French-made defence systems fitted onto UAE-manufactured armored vehicles, now in the hands of Sudanese forces, may constitute a violation of the UN arms embargo.
In a report released Thursday, Amnesty identified several Nimr Ajban armored personnel carriers (APCs) produced by UAE’s Edge Group and fitted with France’s Galix reactive defence system, appearing in conflict zones throughout Sudan, including the war-torn Darfur region.
The Galix system, manufactured by French firms Lacroix Defence and KNDS France, provides protection by releasing smoke, projectiles, and decoys.
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Its appearance in Sudan, particularly within Darfur, suggests that the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been deploying these systems—a possible violation of international sanctions designed to limit arms flow into the region, where conflict has already claimed over 20,000 lives and displaced nearly 12 million people.
Amnesty International‘s Secretary-General, Agnès Callamard, emphasized that “our research shows that weaponry designed and manufactured in France is in active use on the battlefield in Sudan,” specifically the Galix system, which should not be operational in embargoed regions like Darfur.
Callamard urged the French government to take immediate action to halt further supply of this system to the UAE, calling for France to ensure that Lacroix Defence and KNDS France cease any supply of the Galix system that risks further escalation in Sudan’s conflict zones.
