Nine months after first announcing probe into $11.3bn deal, campaigners question why Ottawa has not announced outcome.
Canada’s government is facing increasing pressure to announce the outcome of its review of a lucrative weapons contract with Saudi Arabia, more than nine months after first announcing the inquiry in the wake of journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing and the ongoing war in Yemen.
Canada’s government is facing increasing pressure to announce the outcome of its review of a lucrative weapons contract with Saudi Arabia, more than nine months after first announcing the inquiry in the wake of journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s killing and the ongoing war in Yemen.
A group of civil society organisations, including Amnesty International, this week penned an open letter to Trudeau, saying that in the lead-up to federal elections in October, Canadians are demanding an answer over the review’s outcome.
“We are disappointed that neither yourself, nor the Minister of Foreign Affairs, nor the Minister of International Trade Diversification has responded to the concerns outlined in our letter [from March 4].
“No update with respect to the progress of the review has been offered, bringing the sincerity of the effort into question,” the letter said.
The letter came as academics and activists are also stepping up their efforts to pressure Ottawa to cancel the $11.3bn deal to export Canadian-made, light-armoured vehicles (LAVs) to Saudi Arabia, with campaigners saying there is credible evidence Canadian arms are being used by the Saudi-UAE led coalition in the devastating war in Yemen.
Under Canada’s regulations, Canadian military equipment can be exported only when there is “no reasonable risk” that the weapons could be used against civilians.
Saudi-Canadian LAV-25 shown "countering instability" in Yemen (posted 18/8/1)https://t.co/qMsfcWgRG9 pic.twitter.com/Xaois1Q5Tr
— Anthony Fenton (@anthonyfenton) October 27, 2018
More at Source: Canadians seek cancellation of major arms deal with Saudi Arabia | Saudi Arabia News | Al Jazeera
