A Ukrainian weapons company has been shipping arms to rebels fighting in Sudan’s Western region of Darfur, according to a Russian newspaper.

Vremya Novostei reported that according to the data that appeared in Kiev, Ukrainian company Ukrspetsexport supplied artillery systems and small arms with assistance of intermediaries through the territory of Eritrea.
 

The report if true would be a violation to UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution 1556 and 1591 adopted in 2004 and 2005 respectively which prohibited the sale or supply of arms and military equipment to all warring parties in Darfur.
 

A UN panel of experts revealed last year that an increasing portion of ammunition and military-adapted vehicles used by all parties to the conflict was produced within the past two to three years — after the arms embargo was imposed.
 

This demonstrates "an increasing rate of violation" of the embargo, it said.
 

The newspaper further said Sudanese government will receive this month 100 T-72M tanks from Ukrspetsexport. The latter is shipping the tanks to Port Sudan in accordance with a contract signed in 2009 worth $70 million.
 

Some 2 million people died and 4 million fled between 1983 and 2005 as the Muslim north and mostly Christian south fought over differences in ideology, ethnicity and religion.