VOA标准英语2008年-Sudan Denies it Receives Iranian Military Help

Officials close to Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir deny that Iran is providing military training and assistance to Sudanese forces in Darfur. The comments come in response to the London-based Africa Confidential¹ news publication, which accuses Khartoum of using Iranian-made military equipment in the western Darfur region. Iran joins China and Russia as countries believed to be defying a U.N. arms embargo², which prohibits the transfer of weaponry to Darfur without the permission of the Security Council. VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu has details from our East Africa Bureau in Nairobi.
　
Map of Darfur region of Sudan

Africa Confidential says that an unmanned drone shot down by a Darfur rebel group on August 28 was an Iranian-made unmanned aerial vehicle, which was operating in the Darfur region in violation³ of the U.N. arms embargo.

Africa Confidential Editor Patrick Smith tells VOA that rebels of the Sudan Liberation Movement Unity⁴ faction⁵ recovered parts of the UAV and helped western military experts identify it. He says the drone, which is capable of carrying a 45-kilogram bomb, was probably controlled by Iranian technicians in Sudan.

"Sudanese rebel forces got hold of parts of it and they have spoken to several international governments about it because of the implications of Iran breaking sanctions. We are absolutely certain about this. It is an open secret that the Iranians have been training their [Sudan's] military operatives. That is beyond dispute," he said.

The government in Khartoum acknowledged last month that it had lost a drone in Darfur, but officials said the unmanned plane was made in Sudan and that it had been spraying pesticides⁶ on crops when it crashed.

Khartoum's Under-Secretary in the Ministry⁷ of Foreign Affairs Mutruf Sadiq says he has no knowledge of Iranian-made UAVs operating in Darfur. But he denied that Tehran is providing military training and assistance to Sudanese forces.

"No, no, no, no, no. We do not have any Iranian military experts here in Sudan. It is absolute nonsense," he said.

But an official from South Sudan in Khartoum's unity government, Shrino Hitang, says he believes Iran has joined Russia on the list of the most significant military partners for the Arab-dominated government in Sudan.

Khartoum and Tehran signed agreements in January 2007, and again in March, pledging to boost military cooperation. "Iran and Russia are countries that are equipping Khartoum with military hardware," he said.

Last year, human-rights group Amnesty International reported that Russia and China, which had approved the passage of the U.N. resolution in 2005, had broken the arms embargo by supplying Sudan with attack helicopters, bombers⁸ and other vehicles and weapons used against civilians⁹ in Darfur.

On Saturday and Sunday, rebel groups in North and West Darfur said government forces used some of those helicopters and bombers to launch attacks on rebel positions. The reports have not been confirmed, but rebels say the attacks inflicted¹⁰ an unknown number of casualties and caused hundreds of civilians to flee.

At least 300,000 people have died and more than two million displaced since the conflict erupted in 2003 in the oil-rich region. The International Criminal Court recently indicted¹¹ Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on alleged¹² crimes and genocide perpetrated by government forces and state-backed Arab militias¹³ in Darfur.

 

1 confidential   

adj.秘（机）密的，表示信任的，担任机密工作的

参考例句：

• He refused to allow his secretary to handle confidential letters.他不让秘书处理机密文件。
• We have a confidential exchange of views.我们推心置腹地交换意见。

2 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

3 violation   

n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯

参考例句：

• He roared that was a violation of the rules.他大声说，那是违反规则的。
• He was fined 200 dollars for violation of traffic regulation.他因违反交通规则被罚款200美元。

4 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

5 faction   

n.宗派，小集团；派别；派系斗争

参考例句：

• Faction and self-interest appear to be the norm.派系之争和自私自利看来非常普遍。
• I now understood clearly that I was caught between the king and the Bunam's faction.我现在完全明白自己已陷入困境，在国王与布纳姆集团之间左右为难。

6 pesticides   

n.杀虫剂( pesticide的名词复数 )；除害药物

参考例句：

• vegetables grown without the use of pesticides 未用杀虫剂种植的蔬菜
• There is a lot of concern over the amount of herbicides and pesticides used in farming. 人们对农业上灭草剂和杀虫剂的用量非常担忧。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

8 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

10 inflicted   

把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They inflicted a humiliating defeat on the home team. 他们使主队吃了一场很没面子的败仗。
• Zoya heroically bore the torture that the Fascists inflicted upon her. 卓娅英勇地承受法西斯匪徒加在她身上的酷刑。

11 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

12 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

13 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网