AN Isle of Man-registered company has been accused of being involved in supplying arms for a forgotten conflict in South Sudan.
Amnesty International alleged that a Manx-based company Ace Shipping had been involved in the charter of ships used to transport Ukrainian-supplied battle tanks to the South Sudanese Armed Forces.
Its report, entitled ‘Overshadowed Conflict, Arms supplies fuel violations in Mayom County, Unity State’, says that scores of people have been killed or injured, had their homes destroyed, or have been forced to flee due to indiscriminate attacks on civilian areas by the South Sudanese Armed Forces in South Sudan’s Unity State in 2010 and 2011.
Ahead of the first anniversary of South Sudan’s independence, Amnesty International is calling for a treaty to end irresponsible arms transfers to those likely to use them for serious violations of human rights and war crimes.
The organisation there have been repeated incidents of civilians being killed or injured during fighting between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and the armed opposition group, the South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA).
‘Ukrainian supplied T-72 main battle tanks have been used in such attacks by the SPLA. The clandestine delivery of these battle tanks from Ukraine to South Sudan in 2009, involved transfers via Kenya and Uganda and included shipping companies from Germany and Ukraine, and UK and Isle of Man-registered shell companies,’ according to the report which names Ace Shipping, which is registered at Kissack Court, Parliament Street, Ramsey.
Amnesty International does not allege any wrongdoing by the Ukrainian and German shipping companies that operated the ships.
A Manx government spokesman said: ‘The Isle of Man complies fully with current UN and EU arms embargoes and has in place controls on trafficking of certain arms which are the same as the UK’s. The report says there was no wrongdoing on the part of the shipping companies involved but they are highlighting this as part of their campaign to introduce wider arms controls around the world.’