The Belgian region of Wallonia, home to the FN Herstal and CMI arms plants, said Thursday it had halted weapons sales to Saudi Arabia's defence ministry because of the war in Yemen. Confirming a report in the newspaper L'Echo, Wallonia said Minister-President Elio di Rupo had "the Yemen drama" in mind when refusing an export licence to the Saudi air force.
In a letter seen by AFP, it added "the minister-president refuses all licences for the Saudi defence ministry." Saudi Arabia's Royal Guard and National Guard, which French-speaking Wallonia sees as less implicated in the Yemeni conflict, will continue to receive Belgian weapons and ammunition.
In Belgium, licences for arms sales are issued by regional governments, and human rights groups have been lobbying Wallonia to halt shipments to the Saudis. Saudi Arabia intervened in the almost five-year civil war in its southern neighbour to support the government side, but the conflict has claimed tens of thousands of civilian lives.
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