‘Stop selling weapons and push forYemen ceasefire’

THE Government has been accused of double standards for participating in arms control talks in Geneva at the same time that London hosts the world’s biggest arms fair.

The opening of the Defence & Security Equipment International (Desi) today coincides with the annual meeting of signatories to the Arms Trade Treaty in Switzerland.

But the UK has been criticised by Oxfam for selling arms that fuel the war in Yemen, while also funding aid efforts to help those suffering.

Sally Copley, Oxfam GB’s head of campaigns said: “Yemen is the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, suffering from a borderline famine and hit by the world’s largest cholera epidemic which shows no sign of abating. Yet the deaths, the destruction and the misery seem to count for nothing. Since the war began not one licence to export arms to Saudi Arabia has been rejected by the Government.

“When you are witness to the suffering in Yemen it is hard to understand or excuse how the UK government talks the talk on arms control while it walks the walk of arms sales.

“It helped push through and signed up to an international arms control law, the Arms Trade Treaty, that it intended to stop arms going to repressive regimes but it continues to sell arms to some of the world’s worst human rights abusers.”

She added that this was most apparent in the case of £3.6bn worth of arms sales to Saudi Arabia for its bombing campaign in Yemen.

“On the one hand it fuels a war with massive arms sales while it sends aid to help the people it is harming. Neither do we seem to be working on a credible plan for peace.

“Our call to the Government is clear: Britain’s reputation on the global stage demands that you stop being an arms broker and start being a peace broker.

“Stop the arms sales and push for a ceasefire,” said Ms Copley.

A spokesman for the Department of International Trade said: “The UK government takes its defence export responsibilities very seriously and already operates one of the most robust export control regimes in the world.

“We rigorously examine every application on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National arms export licensing Criteria.”