Actually, the Federal government wanted to tighten the rules for arms exports quickly. But nothing, and criticize the two major Christian churches in its arms export report in 2018 had happened.
The term “word-break” do not take in the mouth, the representatives of the Protestant and of the Catholic Church, which occur together with a armor experts, a few days before Christmas, in the Federal press conference. But actually, they mean exactly that: The announcement by the Federal government to tighten the rules for arms exports this year, had so far not led to action. Three-quarters of a year after the arrival of the new government, the balance sheet was “sobering”.
“A breach of international law”
In black and White it is in the coalition agreement, the CDU/CSU and SPD in March, have decided: “We sharpen in the year 2018, the arms export policies from the year 2000.” But no more talk, now the GKKE, the “Joint conference Church and development”, which sheds light on the practice of German arms exports in an annual report to critically questioned.
Quite the contrary: Until recently, German military equipment to Saudi had been delivered to Arabia, although the country is involved in the Yemen war. Including patrol boats of the German manufacturer Lürssen, which may have been used for the Blockade of Yemeni ports. Thus, the Federal government contributed to the humanitarian disaster in Yemen, criticized the Prelate Karl Jüsten, the Catholic Chairman of the GKKE. “What’s more, by supporting the violation of international law.”
Prelate Martin Dutzmann, Max Mutschler from the BICC in Bonn and Prelate Karl Jüsten (from left to right)
On assuming office in March, the new government had promised from the CDU/CSU and SPD, “from now on, no exports to countries approve, as long as those directly involved in the Yemen war.” However, they had added an exception clause: not applicable for already approved deliveries, if this love in the recipient country. With this clause, the government have devalued their announcements for a stricter export control “”.
“All the permits are revoked”
A total of were approved in the first nine months of the year in 2018, with exports worth more than 400 million euros to Saudi Arabia, in addition to the patrol, a radar system to locate enemy artillery boats. Only after the murder of the journalist Jamal Khashoggi the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, the government of CDU/CSU and the SPD stopped further deliveries – the Hear after but only for two months.
It is not enough for the churches: The Federal government should call “all of the already issued permits to the countries of the war coalition in Yemen immediately.” With a short-term stop of the exports, it was not done, stressed Jüsten. Finally, the Federal government knew prior to the murder of Khashoggi, “with whom she has to do it in Saudi Arabia”.
Only after the assassination of Khashoggis, the Federal government stopped all arms deliveries to Saudi Arabia
Highly critical of the GKKE also assess the business practice of Rheinmetall of Germany’s largest armaments company. These have bought companies abroad and Joint-Ventures established. Through this, you’ve sold “thousands of bombs of the MK80 series” to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, criticized the Prelate Martin Dutzmann, the Protestant Chairman of the GKKE. Non-governmental organisations, such bombs in the Yemen war had been used against civilian targets. Rheinmetall, the appeal of the GKKE, should make no more business with the countries of the war coalition in Yemen.
Also in crisis areas supplied
More precisely, under the microscope, the GKKE has been forging the exports of German weapons to countries that are not members of the European Union or NATO. The approvals for exports in these so-called “third countries” want to go back to the Federal government according to his own admission. In the first half of 2018, 60 percent of all German arms exports were, however, still in third States.
People search in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, according to Survivors of a saudi Arabian air attack
Armor expert Max Mutschler from the BICC (“Bonn International Center for Conversion”), holds this to be wrong: in 2017, the German company’s weapons had approved “in 52 countries, whose human rights classified the situation as very bad,” he quotes a calculation of the BICC. In more than two dozen countries, violent conflicts have prevailed.
An Arms Export Law?
From their observations, the GKKE draws the conclusion that the German armaments export policy is not restrictive, even if the Federal government is saying this. Change the could. an arms export law, the grater stricter rules clearly pre – However, there is currently no majority in the Bundestag. Even without such a law, it was easily possible that arms exports to countries of concern, argues Mutschler: This is solely a question of political will.