South Africa takes fire for arms sales to blacklisted nations
| Johannesburg, South Africa
South Africa, which has been winning applause for its hosting of the 2010 World Cup, is now coming under fire for another success: global arms sales.
According to the South African watch group, Ceasefire Campaign, South African arms merchants have sold $1.7 billion worth of weapons in the past decade to 鈥減roblematic鈥� countries that are either involved in internal conflicts or with poor human rights records. The arms sales would appear to be in violation of South African law, which prohibits the sale of arms to countries that are on United Nations embargo lists, have poor human rights records, or that are involved in conflicts.
鈥淭hese arms can be used by countries to further deteriorate those human rights, or used in local conflicts, or they can be used in countries that have poor controls over what is going to happen to those arms in the future,鈥� says Rob Thomson, a member of the steering committee for the Johannesburg-based Ceasefire Campaign.
"As a country, we passed this act, and it was seen as part of a new South Africa that would be a responsible player on the international stage with regards to the matter of arms,鈥� says Mr. Thomson. 鈥淏ut now, we seem to have ignored that responsibility.鈥�
South Africa is, of course, just one of many arms merchants in the world. The United States dwarfs all others, selling $15 billion in arms in 2009, and many of the US鈥檚 top customers are the same 鈥減roblematic鈥� countries cited in the Ceasefire Campaign report. But South Africa鈥檚 role as an arms dealer conflicts with its aspirations to be a problem solver in Africa, a voice of the developing world, a champion of human rights.
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According to the Ceasefire Campaign report, South Africa sold weapons to 58 countries between 2002 and 2009 that failed to meet the criteria of South African law in one way or another, including Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Libya, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe. But the lion鈥檚 share went to five countries -- India, the United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Colombia, and Saudi Arabia 鈥� that either have ongoing internal conflicts, poor human rights records, or poor control over their purchased arms.
鈥淎rms are not potatoes. The reason we have an act is because they can鈥檛 be sold like potatoes,鈥� Mr. Thomson told a press conference in Johannesburg. 鈥淲e are selling more arms to the worst countries than to countries that pass the criteria. More than half of the arms to these failing countries are significant sensitive equipment.鈥�
Ceasefire Campaign tried to obtain information on South African arms sales through official government channels, but after meeting resistance, it obtained that information through a combination of sources, including United Nations, the South African state arms manufacturer Denel, and the Bonn International Centre for Conversion, a research group on the arms trade.
South Africa鈥檚 Justice Minister Jeff Radebe dismissed the Ceasefire report.
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鈥淭hese allegations are not breaking any new ground,鈥� says Mr. Radebe in statement to the press. Every arms transaction is 鈥渟ubject to a meticulous process of scrutiny and investigation,鈥� by South Africa鈥檚 National Conventional Arms Control Committee, which Radebe chairs. He says the committee was 鈥渟atisfied that all decisions taken on all transactions were based on aggregate consideration of all principles reflected in our law, including our international obligations on arms transfer.鈥�
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鈥淪outh Africa will continue to subscribe to the international agenda of responsible trade in arms,鈥� Mr. Radebe says in his statement.
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