Norway Halts Arms Exports to UAE Due to Yemen War

The Norwegian government announced on Wednesday, January 3, that it will halt arms and ammunition exports to the United Arab Emirates as a preventive measure based on its assessment of the situation in Yemen. The war in Yemen between Houthi rebels and a military coalition led by Saudi Arabia, of which the UAE is a part, has been ongoing for about three years. According to the Associated Press, Norwegian Foreign Minister Eriksen Soreide stated that there is 'no information' indicating that Norwegian arms exports have been used in the Yemen war, but there are 'serious concerns' regarding the humanitarian crisis in the country. The UAE government has not yet responded to Norway's recent decision. Since March 2015, the war between Houthi rebels and the Saudi-led military coalition, along with the forces of the former Yemeni government recognized by the international community, has been ongoing. Given the bloody stalemate in this war, coalition forces have made limited progress, and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels still control the capital, Sana'a, and a large part of northern Yemen. Over 10,000 people have been killed in the Yemen war so far, more than three million have been displaced, and cholera has spread. On Tuesday, the Norwegian newspaper 'Verdens Gang' published a video from Yemeni rebels claiming they had discovered and seized 'an American spy submarine.' The newspaper reported that this submarine, a Ramos 600 model, is an unmanned vessel made by the Norwegian industrial group Kongsberg. Neither Kongsberg nor the Saudi-led military coalition has responded to this news so far. Meanwhile, it is unclear when this submarine was seized. The Associated Press adds that the Norwegian Foreign Minister stated on Wednesday that arms and ammunition sales to the UAE have been permitted since 2010. The recent decision by the Norwegian government to suspend arms and ammunition exports to the UAE was made on December 19, 2017. The Norwegian NTB news agency reported that the volume of arms, ammunition, and other military equipment sales from Norway to the UAE was about $12.3 million in 2016. The head of the Norway section of the international charity Save the Children stated, 'This is an important and correct decision.' In a statement sent to the Associated Press, he added, 'Norway's government decision can serve as a model for other arms-exporting countries to responsibly address the repeated violations of international law.'