European country extends ban on arms exports to Arab country for another year

Germany maintains its arms veto on Saudi Arabia

AFP/ FAYEZ NURELDINE - Saudi Army officers pass by F-15 fighter planes

Updated: 17/12/20

Germany is once again extending for a year the ban on arms exports to Saudi Arabia, which had been extended from March to the end of this year. With the exception of weapons produced jointly with other European states, the government has taken a further step to tighten the ban on previous permits, reported the DPA (Deutsche Presse-Agentur).

Berlin suspended arms exports to Riyadh in 2018 because of the war in Yemen and the murder of the Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi. After four extensions, Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel has opted to expand the veto for at least another twelve months.

This time the restrictions are going to be much tougher. Despite the fact that arms produced with other European countries continue to be sold, the export licences that were granted at the time and which were currently only paused are going to be revoked.

These vetoes influence their relations with the rest of Europe, such as France and the United Kingdom, as their sales are negatively affected. Some exports have been stopped because they are made of German materials.

But Germany has been extending its veto on arms sales to Saudi Arabia for about two years due to human rights violations. Previously, Berlin had already issued bans on military exports in 2015, which it later lifted. Previously Germany exported 254 million euros ($300 million) to Saudi Arabia in 2017.

Although the Saudi kingdom, in February 2020, asked Germany to lift this ban. Faisal bin Farhan al-Saud, the Saudi foreign minister, stated in an interview with the German agency DPA that he hoped it would be understood that they needed means to defend themselves. Meanwhile, this, he said, was damaging to good relations between the two countries.

This November the former minister of state for foreign affairs, Adel al-Jubei, attacked Germany, claiming that the ban was illogical as they could buy weapons from other countries. Furthermore, it is thought that the war in Yemen is totally legitimate and that they were totally forced to take part in it.

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