London: According to a report published by Amnesty International, both South Sudan's army and rebel groups are using weapons imported from China, Ukraine and neighbouring Sudan in fighting that has claimed dozens of civilian lives.
The UK-based human rights organisation has claimed that South Sudanese government forces used Ukraine-supplied T-72 tanks during the fighting which was an attempt to violation of international law.
The report also focuses on clashes between the South Sudanese armed forces, known as the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA), and the rebel South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA) in 2010 and 2011.
The report looks at Mayom County in South Sudan’s Unity State, where Amnesty says dozens of people were killed or injured and others were forced to flee their homes.
Amnesty’s report comes ahead of arms trade negotiations due to start on Monday. The talks, at United Nations headquarters in New York, are aimed at developing a multi-lateral treaty to regulate international arms sales.
Amnesty wants a robust treaty to be put in place, with rules that will stop arms transfers to countries that are likely to use them for serious violations of human rights or war crimes.
Notably, South Sudan seceded from Sudan on July 9 last year but has since been wracked by internal and external conflict.