By Gary Raynaldo    DIPLOMATIC  TIMES

France is among the major Western suppliers of arms to Saudi Arabia. While most of the attention and criticism by humanitarian groups have been on the United States and the United Kingdom’s role in supplying weapons to Saudi Arabia that are used in the horrific war in Yemen,  France is also involved in arms sales to The Kingdom.  The United States, Britain, and France could be held responsible for human rights violations in Yemen in arming and providing logistical support to the Saudi-led coalition that is waging a deadly proxy war there,  a group of UN experts said in a report released this week.     The United Nations and rights groups accuse the coalition of targeting civilians, which amounts to a war crime.  Amnesty International France has been calling on France to halt arms sales to the Saudis because the French Republic is a signatory of the Arms Trade Treaty, which regulates the international trade in conventional arms.  Saudi Arabia is France’s largest market in the Middle East, even without arms sales. French exports to the Gulf nation were totaled almost 4 billion euros ($4.61 billion) between September 2017 to August 2018, according to economy ministry data. 

French Defense Minister Florence Parly said last year France  exported 11 billion euros ($12.6 billion) to Saudi Arabia between 2008 to 2017, a figure which was crucial for French jobs.

Credit: Wikipedia Commons /  French Defense Minister Florence Parly

“These arms exports are extremely supervised and analyzed very meticulously. They are authorized by an inter-ministerial commission placed under the authority of the prime minister, which follows a case-by-case evaluation which takes into account numerous criteria, among which is the nature of exported materials, the respect of human rights, and the preservation of peace and regional stability,” Parly told a senate foreign policy commission hearing. “More and more, our industrial and defense sectors need these arms exports. And so we cannot ignore the impact that all of this has on our defense industry and our jobs,” she added

French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs Response to Question  at Press Conference On France’s Role in Yemen War Amid UN Report:

Question:  ‘A report published by the UN investigators argues that France, the United States and the UK could be complicit in war crimes by arming and providing intelligence and logistical support to the Saudi-led coalition operating in Yemen. How do you explain this analysis by the UN investigators of France’s role in this conflict?”

“France does not believe in a military solution to the conflict in Yemen and reaffirms its deep concern at the continued hostilities and humanitarian consequences of the conflict, for which the civilian populations are paying a high price. It strongly condemns the attacks that have resulted in a large number of civilian victims, like the one carried out on September 1 in Dhamar, one of the deadliest attacks since the start of the conflict. A strict interministerial control system provides a framework for our arms exports. Authorizations are granted in strict compliance with France’s international obligations, notably the provisions of the Arms Trade Treaty and the EU Common Position. France is taking action to promote a political solution in Yemen, the only way to put an end to the conflict. It supports the mediation efforts of UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths aimed at relaunching discussions on a comprehensive and inclusive political agreement. Our action falls within the framework of President Macron’s efforts to de-escalate regional tensions.“

Statement  by the  French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs Spokesperson,  Paris, Sep. 5, 2019.