October 23, 2011 (PARIS) — French Renault Trucks said it has cancelled a contract with the Sudanese Giad Motor Company to assemble vehicles used by government troops in the counter-insurgency campaigns conducted in Darfur.
Human rights and advocacy groups mentioned the use of Renault trucks by the Sudan Armed Forces and demanded to stop its cooperation with the government owned Giad industrial complex.
GIAD Industrial City is one of 30 state-owned companies the US administration blocks its assets since May 2007 for their roles in fomenting violence and human rights abuses in Darfur.
Stefano Chmielewski, President of Renault Trucks, unveiled this week in Paris to Sudan Tribune that since three years ago he terminated a deal with Giad to assemble Renault trucks at its plants located near the Sudanese capital Khartoum.
"We took this decision without any external pressures and we informed the Sudanese party about it," he further emphasised.
Speaking to the media at the Milipol Paris 2011, an international exhibition of internal state security, he further said that in any case they do not manufacture weapons but only vehicles.
IPIS, a Belgium based institute focusing on Sub-Saharan Africa, released recently a report about Renault cooperation with the Sudan including pictures for trucks used by the Sudan Armed Forces in Darfur.
Reacting to this report, the head of Renault Trucks expressed his solidarity with the people of Sudan and Darfur in particular. He further underlined that his company is not responsible for incorrect use of their trucks assembled in Sudan.
Giad assembles besides Renault trucks vehicles and trucks for the German MAN. The Sudanese company is reportedly transforms Japanese trucks from Nissan and Toyota for the Sudanese army.
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