Hu visits Sudan to review trade, not abuses

Khartoum, Feb 1: Chinese President Hu Jintao will use his first trip to Sudan tomorrow to sign trade deals and visit a Chinese-built oil refinery, rather than to press Khartoum on rights abuses in Darfur as the West hopes.

Despite heavy US sanctions which have prevented much Western investment, Sudan's economy has benefited from Chinese and Asian funds with an expected growth rate of up to 13 per cent this year.

US special envoy Andrew Natsios visited Beijing last month urging China to use its economic influence in Sudan to pressurise Khartoum to take more positive action to resolve the four-year-old Darfur conflict, which Washington calls genocide.

Rights groups have echoed his call, urging Hu to end China's aid with no strings attached. China buys much of Sudan's 330,000 barrels per day of crude and sells weapons to Khartoum.

It also invests heavily in construction projects and is building a dam and other infrastructure for Sudan's budding oil industry.

''Consistent with China's international obligations, its aspirations to be seen as a responsible international power, and its claims to be a friend of the Sudanese people, there is a great deal more your government can do on Sudan,'' said Human Rights Watch in a letter to Hu ahead of his visit.

It said China should monitor where its arms sold to Khartoum went. Despite an arms embargo on Darfur, Chinese weapons have been used by all sides during the conflict in which an estimated 200,000 have been killed and 2.5 million driven from their homes in the western Sudanese region.

Khartoum denies genocide in Darfur, accusing Western media of exaggerating the war. The International Criminal Court is investigating alleged war crimes in the region.

Human Rights Watch also said China should examine the connection between Sudanese oil development and human rights abuses, given Beijing's heavy involvement in the industry.

''Chinese oil companies have frequently been operating in areas where communities complain of a wide range of abuses,'' it said.

China, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has used its influence to water down resolutions proposing harsh action against Khartoum on Darfur and delay the work of a sanctions committee which should identify individuals to be punished for hindering the Darfur peace process.

But few believe Hu will use his first visit to Sudan to press Khartoum on human rights abuses. He is due to sign several trade agreements tomorrow and visit a Chinese-built oil refinery in north Sudan.

''The blunt truth is China hasn't begun to use any of the irresistible diplomatic, economic and political leverage it has with the Khartoum regime,'' said US academic and Darfur expert Eric Reeves.

''And until it does, there will be ... no halt to the intolerable deterioration in security for civilians and humanitarians,'' he added.

Hu's visit to Sudan is part of an eight-nation tour of Africa.

Reuters

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