Saudi Arabia top export destination for Canadian arms after United States in 2021 & More News Here

Massive quantities of Canadian-made navy items proceed to movement to Saudi Arabia, a brand new authorities report exhibits, regardless of an unresolved diplomatic rupture between Ottawa and Riyadh in addition to criticism of the dominion’s position in the lethal battle in Yemen.

Global Affairs Canada’s Exports of Military Goods report, launched Tuesday, says Canada in 2021 exported greater than $1.7-billion in arms to Saudi Arabia – a rise from $1.3-billion in 2020. The report ranks the dominion as Canada’s top export destination for such items after the United States.

It’s a minimum of the tenth 12 months the place Saudi Arabia, which is ranked among the many worst nations in the world for human rights by Freedom House, has been Canada’s second-biggest buyer of navy items. Freedom House, an American advocacy group for civil liberties, offers the dominion a 7/100 on its newest world freedom rating. (Canada, by comparability, will get a 98/100 rating.)

The arms exports have continued even after Saudi Arabia expelled Canada’s ambassador in 2018 and withdrew its personal envoy after the Department of Global Affairs and Chrystia Freeland, who was minister of international affairs on the time, used Twitter to name for the fast launch of a number of imprisoned political activists in the dominion.

“Saudi Arabia’s absolute monarchy restricts almost all political rights and civil liberties,” Freedom House mentioned in its newest report.

“No officials at the national level are elected. The regime relies on pervasive surveillance, the criminalization of dissent, appeals to sectarianism and ethnicity, and public spending supported by oil revenues to maintain power. Women and religious minorities face extensive discrimination in law and in practice.”

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Almost all of Canada’s arms exports to Saudi Arabia are fight autos, as a part of the $15-billion contract brokered by the Harper authorities however authorized by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Most, if not all, of the light-armoured autos are outfitted with machine weapons or anti-tank cannons.

Thomas Juneau, an affiliate professor in worldwide affairs on the University of Ottawa, mentioned whereas Canada-Saudi relations stay cool, communications between the 2 nations are continuing “reasonably well” even with out ambassadors. He mentioned his understanding is that Ottawa stays open to repairing the connection – however has demonstrated little political will to that finish – whereas Riyadh just isn’t notably .

“Trudeau remains not very popular in the Saudi government,” Prof. Juneau mentioned.

Arms gross sales to Saudi Arabia have additionally continued even after the Canadian authorities in 2021 was named by a United Nations skilled panel, for the second 12 months in a row, as one of many nations serving to gas the battle in Yemen – a battle in which Riyadh has intervened. The panel, which was monitoring the battle and investigating doable battle crimes amongst combatants, criticized the truth that arms gross sales from Canada and different nations together with the United States, Britain and Iran, proceed “with little regard for the immense suffering caused to the people of Yemen.”

The Middle East in normal was crucial export market for Canadian arms in 2021, with Algeria being the eighth largest destination for navy items at $34-million. Much of the exports are from a class that features rifles, handguns and submachine weapons. The 2021 quantity was a major leap from greater than $6-million in 2020.

The weapons shipments proceeded whilst relations between Algeria and neighbouring Morocco deteriorated in 2021, and an arms race between the 2 nations reportedly accelerated. The Algerian authorities reduce diplomatic ties with Morocco in August, 2021. Freedom House offers Algeria a 32/100 on its world freedom rating.

Separately, Canadian arms exports to Israel elevated to greater than $26-million in 2021 from about $19-million in 2020. Freedom House offers Israel a 76/100 in its world freedom rating.

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