German Prosecutor’s Office Investigates Logistics Company’s Involvement in Arms Exports to Sudan

Follow-up – Talal Mudathir
The public prosecutor’s office in the German city of Feldkirch has opened a criminal investigation into the potential involvement of a German logistics company in the illegal shipment of weapons to Sudan, violating the international arms embargo imposed on the country. The prosecutor’s office confirmed to the German newspaper TAZ that it is “investigating the possibility of a crime” related to the War Weapons Control Act.
The investigation, which the prosecutor’s office described as still in its “early stages,” focuses on the shipping and logistics company ShipRide (formerly known as BSL), the German intermediary Peter S., and other parties. German customs is also conducting a separate investigation into the case.
However, the investigation faces questions regarding its seriousness and speed. To date, no searches have been carried out at ShipRide’s headquarters, and the company’s manager responsible for the deal at the time, Christian K., has not been questioned, either as a witness or a suspect. This manager is considered a key witness, as documents indicate that he was aware of the true destination of the shipment, according to the journalistic investigation. ShipRide, for its part, said it is “cooperating with the authorities” and providing the required documents. No formal charges have been filed against anyone so far.
These investigations follow a lengthy investigative report published by the German daily newspaper Die Tageszeitung. The investigation, based on internal correspondence, shipping documents, and bank statements, revealed details of an illegal arms deal dating back to late 2022.
Die Tageszeitung is a respected German daily newspaper known for its independent, left-leaning perspective and its in-depth investigative reporting on social and political issues.
The details of the deal date back to the fall of 2022, when a network comprising a German intermediary and UAE arms dealers, according to investigative documents, planned to ship 122mm howitzers and combat vehicles from Croatia. The shipment was loaded onto the vessel “Aphrodite” in mid-November 2022. While the official destination declared in the shipping documents was Djibouti, the true route, as revealed by internal correspondence obtained by the newspaper, was Port Sudan, Sudan.
The intended recipient was the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia, led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo “Hemedti,” which has been involved in the war raging since April 2023 and has been accused by the United Nations and human rights organizations of committing massacres and genocide in the Darfur region.
The shipment violated the European and international arms embargo imposed on Sudan decades ago due to the conflict in Darfur. The stark contrast between the accuracy and transparency of the journalistic investigation and the sluggishness of the official procedures exemplifies the criticisms long voiced by arms control experts. They warn that a “culture of impunity” within the German defense export sector allows such incidents to recur, with weapons slipping through loopholes in oversight and complex international networks to reach conflict zones.
Thus, as the cycle of war and atrocities continues in Sudan, the Aphrodite shipment case has transformed from an isolated incident into a crucial test. It is testing the German authorities’ ability to rigorously enforce their laws, pursue international arms trafficking networks, and uphold their moral and legal obligations not to fuel the flames of conflicts that consume civilians. To date, this test remains inconclusive, while human rights and international circles await the next steps taken by the public prosecutor’s office in Feldkirch.

Shortlink: https://sudanhorizon.com/?p=9422