norway suspends arms exports to uae over yemen war
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
Last Updated : GMT 05:17:37
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Norway suspends arms exports to UAE over Yemen war

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice

Emiratesvoice, emirates voice Norway suspends arms exports to UAE over Yemen war

A boy walks on the wreckage of a building hit by air strikes two years ago in Sanaa, Yemen
Reuters - Emiratesvoice

Norway has suspended exports of weapons and ammunition to the United Arab Emirates over concerns they could be used in the war in Yemen, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday.

The UAE is part of a Saudi-led coalition formed in 2015 to fight the Iran-aligned Houthi group that controls most of northern Yemen and the capital Sanaa, in a war that has killed more than 10,000 people and displaced more than 3 million.

While there is no evidence that Norwegian-made ammunition has been used in Yemen, there was a rising risk related to the UAE's military involvement there, the ministry said.

"The decision reflects the strict precautionary approach taken by Norway," it added.

Existing export permits had been temporarily revoked and no new licenses would be issued under the current circumstances. The decision was made on Dec. 19, but was not made public until Wednesday.In 2016, Norwegian exports of weapons and ammunition to the UAE rose to 79 million Norwegian crowns ($9.7 million) from 41 million in 2015, Statistics Norway data showed.

Human rights groups and several members of Norway's parliament have for months campaigned for a halt in arms exports to the UAE.

"It is fantastic that the government finally has taken responsibility to end weapons exports to a country which is active in the bombing of schools and hospitals in Yemen," said Line Hegna, a spokeswoman for the Norwegian branch of charity Save the Children.

"Furthermore, we are hopeful that the decision taken by the Norwegian government can act as an example for other exporting nations to act responsibly in the face of repeated violations of international humanitarian law," she added.

Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang on Tuesday published what it said was video footage of a small remote-operated submarine captured by Houthi rebels and produced by Norwegian defense contractor Kongsberg Gruppen.

"This submarine has been seized in Yemeni waters and it belongs to the Saudi-American enemy," a voice in the video said.

Reuters was not able to verify the authenticity of the footage.

Kongsberg Gruppen, which is 50 percent owned by the Norwegian government, declined to comment on the Verdens Gang story, while the foreign ministry said it had no knowledge of the vessel's origins.

The Houthi news agency al-Masirah published similar video footage on Jan. 1 which it said showed the capture of a military reconnaissance submersible device by their naval frogmen. It did not specify the origin of the device or refer to Norway in its report.

The sale of arms to Saudi Arabia and other coalition members has also stirred debate in other European countries, including Britain. Last July, London's High Court rejected a claim by campaigners that billions of dollars' worth of arms sales to Saudi Arabia should be halted because they were being used in Yemen in violation of international humanitarian law.

The Department for International Trade said on Wednesday that the British government "operates one of the most robust arms export control regimes in the world"."We rigorously examine every application, including those from the UAE, on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria. We will not grant a license if to do so would be inconsistent with these criteria," a spokesperson said.

The opposition Labour party, however, said it would continue to call for the suspension of all British arms sales to Saudi Arabia "until there is evidence of a complete halt to the use of British weapons against any civilian population".

While weapons exports to the UAE have been allowed since 2010, Norway does not permit sale of arms or ammunition to Saudi Arabia.

The Norwegian parliament's foreign relations committee is due to debate the country's arms sales later this month.

UAE officials were not immediately available for comment.

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

norway suspends arms exports to uae over yemen war norway suspends arms exports to uae over yemen war

 



Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

norway suspends arms exports to uae over yemen war norway suspends arms exports to uae over yemen war

 



GMT 09:54 2018 Wednesday ,24 January

'Friendly and kind' N. Korean skaters

GMT 12:31 2017 Sunday ,12 November

Students get crash course on art

GMT 18:08 2016 Monday ,10 October

Saudi, Japan Ministers Seek Wider Cooperation

GMT 13:15 2017 Sunday ,22 January

Galfar incurs OMR5.78m loss

GMT 05:15 2017 Wednesday ,25 January

Alibaba quarterly revenue surges 54% to $7.7bn

GMT 13:19 2012 Monday ,12 March

Yehia Al-Fakharany speaks about new series

GMT 13:56 2016 Thursday ,18 August

Brazil police pull 2 US Olympic swimmers

GMT 08:53 2016 Saturday ,26 November

Timeline of Fidel Castro's life whose death at 90

GMT 21:06 2016 Friday ,02 September

India, Egypt must spread correct version of religion

GMT 06:53 2017 Wednesday ,12 July

Odd-man-out Donald Trump wins G20 favours

GMT 06:38 2011 Friday ,03 June

Cyber attacks constant

GMT 01:21 2017 Wednesday ,04 October

Amy hits mercenaries in Medi

GMT 09:26 2012 Wednesday ,01 February

The kingdom of the crystal skull

GMT 08:59 2011 Monday ,13 June

Al Ghandi Auto Group launches flagship showroom

GMT 08:08 2015 Thursday ,30 July

Egypt court postpones verdict in al-Jazeera trial

GMT 14:28 2017 Tuesday ,17 October

CAPRICORN (December22nd-January20th)

GMT 08:46 2017 Wednesday ,27 September

Thousands evacuated, emergency declared

GMT 11:02 2017 Tuesday ,13 June

Actor Mohamed Faheem happy for positive

GMT 10:57 2014 Saturday ,01 March

Cowshed launches spa in Selfridges London
Emiratesvoice, emirates voice
 
 Emirates Voice Facebook,emirates voice facebook  Emirates Voice Twitter,emirates voice twitter Emirates Voice Rss,emirates voice rss  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube  Emirates Voice Youtube,emirates voice youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

emiratesvoieen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen emiratesvoiceen
emiratesvoice emiratesvoice emiratesvoice
emiratesvoice
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice, Emiratesvoice