Why French arms exports fell by half in 2017

French arms exports fell by half in 2017 after two good years, according to an annual report, which insists on the "strict control" of these sales while NGOs accuse Paris to provide states suspected of abuses against civilians

France's arms exports over the last 10 years @AFP pic.twitter.com/LKC5vusmuM

– Jean- Marc Mojon (@mojobeirut) July 2, 2018

The Near and Middle East represented last year a little more than 60% of exports of French weapons systems (3.9 billion euros ) on a total of 6.9 billion euros, according to this report of the Ministry of Armies transmitted to Parliament.

"The balance sheet of the year 2017, with 6.9 billion euros, indicates order intake in the years preceding the Rafale export contracts, "says Paris, the world's third largest arms exporter from the United States and Russia. In 2015, French arms sales reached a record 17 billion euros thanks to the Rafale fighter's first export contracts in Qatar and Egypt, before reaching 14 billion euros in 2016, boosted by the purchase by India of 36 French combat aircraft of the Dbadault group.

Helicopters and missiles sold very well

"The year 2017 was set in a more constrained framework", explains the Ministry, citing "the wait-and-see attitude" provoked by the French presidential election, or "the economic slowdown that affected most oil-producing countries" and "resulted in the postponement of certain acquisition projects". Finally, some major contracts signed in 2017 (including the acquisition by Qatar of 12 additional Rafale) came into force in 2018, argues Paris.

Last year, helicopters and missiles (mainly in the naval field for the last) accounted for more than half of the French exports.

"These exports are part of an extremely strict legal framework. They strictly adhere to international treaties and commitments "and" the state wields uncompromising vigilance over the arms trade ", argues Defense Minister Florence Parly in the preamble to the 40-page report, devoted half of the "French arms control policy."

Paris on the dock

Paris is accused by several NGOs of providing Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, among its largest clients, with weapons suspected of to be used in Yemen. Since the intervention of the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen in 2015 aimed at driving out Houthi rebels, the conflict has killed nearly 10,000 people and caused "the worst humanitarian crisis in the world", with millions of people on the brink of famine, according to the UN.

Many international humanitarian badociations believe that Paris violates in particular the Treaty on the Arms Trade (ATT), ratified by Paris in 2014, according to which the signatory states must not transfer weapons that can be used to commit serious human rights abuses. Some French parliamentarians demand more control over arms sales by the government.

Four human rights NGOs also denounce Monday the delivery to Egypt for five years of weapons , machines and surveillance systems French that the regime of President al-Sisi uses to "crush the Egyptian people." Charges launched on the day of Egyptian Defense Minister Mohamed Zaki's official visit to Paris, a few days after that of French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian in Cairo.

Refusals to export [19659009] Military cooperation has increased considerably between Paris and Cairo since Abdel Fattah al-Sissi came to power in 2014. Since 2015, Egypt has signed six billion euros in arms contracts with Paris, including 24 Rafale.

In 2017, 50 refusals of export were notified by France, underlines the document. They mainly concerned Central Asia (36% of refusals) and South Asia (28%). Only 6% of refusals were in the Near and Middle East region.

According to the Sipri Research Institute, arms sales in the Middle East have doubled in the last decade, and the region now accounts for 32 % of world imports.