VOA标准英语2009-Report Says Same Companies Deliver Aid and Arms

A new report says that the same cargo¹ companies that fly weapons into African conflict zones are often contracted by international agencies to supply humanitarian² and peacekeeping operations. The report says the problem has been particularly troubling in Sudan.

According to the report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute - a prominent think tank that monitors international arms transfers - 90 percent of air cargo companies linked to arms trafficking have also been used by United Nations agencies, Western governments or international non-governmental organizations to transport humanitarian aid.

The report singles out Sudan as the most serious case. One of the report's authors, Hugh Griffiths, says that U.N. peacekeeping missions have hired helicopters and aircraft belonging to the same Sudanese companies that have been used to ferry weapons to pro-government soldiers in the Darfur region, in violation³ of arms embargoes⁴.

"These aircraft and helicopters are painted white and have the U.N. logos put on them for U.N. flights to support peacekeeping missions primarily through logistics. But, then, when the U.N. is finished using these companies, the companies don't remove the white paint nor the U.N. logos and, instead, contract their aircraft to be used by Sudanese army and police, sometimes in a ground attack role," he said.

Griffiths also points out that many of the air cargo companies operating in Sudan are controlled by member of Sudan's political and military class, who are making money from both the conflict and the aid operations.

According to the report, similar problems are present in other parts of East Africa. In eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, humanitarian agencies regularly use companies linked to warlords involved in mining activities. In Somalia, the American private security company Dyncorp - which was contracted by the U.S. government to support the African Union peacekeeping mission - has used a cargo company that is accused of supplying weapons to Al-Shabab, a hardline Islamist militia⁵ with ties to Al Qaeda.
　
A Somali policemen guards the airport in Mogadishu (file photo)

The report's authors concede that cargo companies with untarnished records are not always available. Griffiths says that, in Somalia, the lack of security at the Mogadishu airport has limited the number of carriers willing to fly there. But he says that, in other countries, the international community can take steps to change the situation.

"Were the international community as a whole, as part of a coordinated⁶ effort, to set criteria⁷ saying we are not going to use companies that the U.N. recommend for a complete ban anymore, then you would find the market kicking in and just like we find restaurants near most conflict zones which serve good food in a clean kitchen because of the demand for that from the internationals, so you would find airlines operating safer aircraft which have a good code of conduct, an ethical⁸ transportation policy and a track record of not violating United Nations arms embargoes. You have to create a market for such companies," he said.

The report recommends instituting new ethics⁹ requirements for carriers doing business with Western governments, U.N. agencies, or international NGOs. The authors also say that existing safety requirements in Europe and the United States could be applied¹⁰ to carriers accused of transporting arms, many of which have poor safety records.

1 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

2 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

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 embargoes   

贸易禁运令，禁运( embargo的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Britain, France and the United States refused to lift their embargoes. 英、法和美国都拒绝取消禁运。
• Its public position is that it abides by all UN arms embargoes. 其公开立场是，他们遵守所有联合国的武器禁运命令。

5 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

6 coordinated   

adj.协调的

参考例句：

• The sound has to be coordinated with the picture. 声音必须和画面协调一致。
• The numerous existing statutes are complicated and poorly coordinated. 目前繁多的法令既十分复杂又缺乏快调。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

7 criteria   

n.标准

参考例句：

• The main criterion is value for money.主要的标准是钱要用得划算。
• There are strict criteria for inclusion in the competition.参赛的标准很严格。

8 ethical   

adj.伦理的，道德的，合乎道德的

参考例句：

• It is necessary to get the youth to have a high ethical concept.必须使青年具有高度的道德观念。
• It was a debate which aroused fervent ethical arguments.那是一场引发强烈的伦理道德争论的辩论。

9 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

10 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。