NEW YORK, N.Y. - A confidential U.N. report says the government of Sudan is flying arms and heavy military equipment into Darfur in violation of Security Council resolutions and painting Sudanese military planes white to disguise them as U.N. or African Union aircraft.
In one case, as seen in close-up photos, the report states "U.N." has been stenciled onto the wing of a whitewashed Sudanese armed forces plane where bombs were laid out in rows by its side, guarded by uniformed soldiers.
More than 200,000 people have died in Darfur and 2.3 million have been uprooted from their homes, largely by repeated attacks from Arab militias supported and equipped by the Sudanese government.
The report said that the Sudanese government was shipping small-caliber weapons, heavy weapons, artillery pieces, ammunition and other military equipment into Darfur on cargo planes. It also states that rebel groups, in addition to the Sudanese government, have been guilty of violating Council resolutions, peace treaty agreements, and humanitarian standards.