News Analysis |
A UK court has asked the government to stop exporting arms to Saudi Arabia as they are being used in violation of international laws regarding their intended targets. The litigant Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) had moved to court against the sale of weapons to Saudi Arabia which is then used in Yemen indiscriminately since 2015, causing more than 100,000 deaths since then.
“This ruling is huge,” said Sam Perlo-Freeman, a research coordinator at CAAT. “We can see that arms sales for use in Yemen are now being challenged internationally – in the US and Europe – but this from a court in one of Saudi Arabia’s top two arms suppliers takes that to a whole new level.
Saudi Arabia accounts for nearly half of the arms exports of the UK and a major source of revenue as so far arms sales worth $6 billion have bee carried out. Mostly it includes high end, advanced weaponry such as jets and missiles.
Britain and France have been critical of Germany for this move as it will also affect the arms exports of other countries which use German components in the manufacturing.
The United Kingdom as so far sold 72 advanced Euro fighter Typhoons to Saudi Arabia which are being used in the aerial campaign against the Houthi rebels in Saudi Arabia’s so far unsuccessful bid to remove Houthis from Capital Sanaa and install UN-backed President Mansoor Abd rub Al Haadi’s government.
Germany was the First One to Lead
Germany decided to put a ban on exporting weapons to Saudi Arabia in October 2018 though not entirely due to the situation in Yemen but under the pretext of Journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s murder. Initially, the ban was enacted for six months but it was renewed further.
Back in 2012, Germany was the major arms supplier to Saudi Arabia however the exports fell nearly by half as 2015 approached when the war was launched against the Houthis in Yemen. Britain and France have been critical of Germany for this move as it will also affect the arms exports of other countries which use German components in the manufacturing.
Read more: UK declares arms sales to Saudi Arabia unlawful
Germany had also asked France and Britain to make sure that the weapons already supplied to Saudi Arabia are not used against the civilians in the Yemen conflict but unfortunately, it has been the exact opposite as Saudi Air raids deliberately kept targeting school, funerals and even wedding ceremonies.
The Debate between Business and Human Rights
Though the war in Yemen had continued for years, the debate of Saudi Arabia being a rogue state who deems no significance to international laws and human rights surfaced mainstream media around the world following the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
The global powers have not been able to push for a substantial solution and rather just settled for verbal opposition to Saudi atrocities in Yemen.
Even the largest supplier to Saudi Arabia was pressured internally from activist groups and congressmen to review the dealing with KSA which leave an American fingerprint on the deaths happening thousands of miles away in Yemen. But the popular television and in-house debates have not resulted in a substantial policy stand for one simple reason that wars bring money for some nations.
In fact, it is the reason why Prime Minister Theresa May’s government has decided to move an appeal against the court’s decision. Although she is about to leave the office, no matter who comes next, the reversal of decision via all legal means seems imminent. Lack of defense contracts means loss of jobs at home, a political risk no government is willing to take.
Read more: Yemen: Around 10,000 dead and a humanitarian crisis
But as far as the loss of innocent lives in Yemen and existing humanitarian crisis in the country, the global powers have not been able to push for a substantial solution and rather just settled for verbal opposition to Saudi atrocities in Yemen.