Germany exported weapons to countries accused of supporting the warring sides in Libya

Defence Redefined

Published on 17/05/2020 at 11:20

After hosting the international meeting on Libya a few months ago, the Government of Germany has approved to export cumulative value of arms EUR 331 million to countries accused of supporting the warring sides in Libya, the country in North Africa, where chaos has prevailed since 2011. This results from the answer given by the Federal Ministry of Economy to a question posed by a member of the parliament in the Bundestag.

Between the 20th of January and May 3rd the approved arms exports are worth EUR 308.2 million only in Egypt, explained the ministry in its reply, which was made aware of the German Press Agency.

The German government has also approved arms exports that amount to 15.1m euros to Turkey and $ 7.7m to the United Arab Emirates.

When the German government hosted the international conference on Libya in January, the countries involved promised to stop supplying the warring parties with weapons and fighters. But gun and ammunition flows continue to the war-torn country, despite a UN embargo.

Turkey supports the internationally recognized – and supported by the United Nations – Government of National Accord (GNA). Egypt, the UAE and Russia support the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) of General Khalifa Haftar.

The two sides are fighting for power in Libya’s oil-producing country, where the situation has remained chaotic since 2011 and the overthrow of Muammar Gaddafi’s regime with a NATO-backed uprising.

The situation worsened further in April 2019, when General Haftar ordered his troops to occupy Tripoli, the headquarters of the GNA.

Despite international calls for a ceasefire in Libya to focus attention on preventing the spread of the corona pandemic, hostilities have continued to escalate in recent weeks.

Source: ANA-MPA