Belgium reconsiders exporting arms to Saudi Arabia over Yemen war crimes

On Jun 30, 2018

YemenExtra

M.A.

Belgium has decided through the State Council to withdraw 8 licenses to export arms to Saudi Arabia from the leading military industry company “FN Herstal”, Belga reported on Saturday.

According to the Russian agency Novosti, the decision of the judiciary in the Belgian Kingdom was based on the fact that the authorities in the province of Wallonia (the French-speaking region of Belgium), who issued the company’s export license, did not fully and correctly examine the extent of observance of fundamental rights in Saudi Arabia in accordance with the requirements of the Belgian Regulations of 21 June 2012 on “Import, Export, Transfer and Transit of Arms and Military Equipment”.

In 2017, Saudi Arabia became the first agent of the Walloonian arms companies, buying from these companies products totaling 153 million euros.

In December 2017, the Belgian University of Human Rights and the National Center for the Coordination of Action for the Defense of Peace and Democracy, with the support of the Belgian branch of Amnesty International, appealed to the State Council to cancel and revoke licenses for the export of lethal weapons to Saudi Arabia because of serious violations in its war against Yemen.

The Council of Ministers of the Province of Wallonia, Belgium, had granted about 28 licenses to export weapons to Saudi Arabia in October last year. Human rights activists demanded to “ban the supply of lethal weapons” to Saudi Arabia, where, according to their data, violations of basic human rights have been recorded, and demanded a ban on arms supply to Saudi Arabia at the level of the European Union in general.

According to the Wallonia provincial parliament, Saudi Arabia remains the largest importer of Belgian arms. In 2015, Riyadh bought 60% of all weapons made in Wallonia, totaling more than 575 million euros. According to media reports, Middle Eastern countries buy 65 percent of the arms exports from Wallonia, which employs about 15,000 workers.