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| Saudi Arabia Claims Germany, Will Buy Weapons from Other Suppliers. Reuters / M. Rehle |
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al Jubair said the decision by the German coalition government was "strange". It was said in an interview with the DPA news agency. The German coalition government has agreed not to issue any more licenses for weapons supply to war-torn countries in Yemen.
"We do not need your weapons, we will buy from elsewhere," said al Jubair.
Saudi Arabia leads an alliance of nine countries fighting Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen since 2015. The war has left thousands dead, and about 3 million Yemenis have been forced to leave their homes. This was stated by the United Nations.
The agreement reached by the German coalition government remains to be approved by members of the Social Democratic Party (SPD).
Saudi Arabia is one of Germany's largest arms export customers. But al Jubair said, "We will not put ourselves in the position, where we become stuffed toys" in German domestic politics. "If Germany faces a problem in arms sales in Saudi Arabia, we do not want to put pressure on Germany," added al Jubair.
Relations between Germany and Saudi Arabia began to tighten after German Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel accused Saudi Arabia of being "adventurous" in the Middle East conflict.
The war in Yemen is justified
By 2017, Saudi Arabia is ranked sixth on the German arms export list, and worth € 255 million (or $ 314 million). Exemplary exports include patrol boats ynag produced at the Lürssen shipyard of northeastern Germany.
"The war in Yemen is justified," al Jubair said. He said Germany supplied weapons to countries that fought against so-called Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, and against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
With Germany's decision to halt the supply of weapons to warring countries in Yemen, it means that Germany distinguishes war which is all justified, al-Jubair said. "It's strange to me, and it does not add to the credibility of the German government."
UN Resolution for Yemen
Al Jubair also blames Iranians who support the Houthi militia, which he says has caused hunger in Yemen, planted landmines and blocked food and water supplies to the rural areas they control. He also said the militia got missiles from Iran.
Earlier this week, Saudi Arabia welcomed the draft UN resolutions awarded by Britain, the US and France, which condemned Iran for not succeeding in preventing their ballistic missile crash into the Houthi rebel sphere. The UN Security Council is scheduled to negotiate Monday to decide on a resolution on Yemen.
Saudi Arabia has pledged to provide 8.9 million euros to tackle a cholera epidemic in Yemen, which has spread to millions of people. This is the worst epidemic in modern times. And due to the collapse of health and sanitation systems due to military attacks in the country. A number of aid organizations have declared themselves unwilling to receive aid funds from the warring states in Yemen, as they are also often the target of attacks.