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South Africa denies exporting military hardware to country in conflict

Monday June 29 2020
tanker

Turkish troops man tanks during military exercises in southeast Turkey September 27, 2017. Parliamentary committee in South Africa questioned the possibility of military hardware purchased by Turkey ending up in Libya. PHOTO | AFP

South Africa has dismissed reports suggesting that its military equipment exported to Turkey might end up in war-torn Libya.

Turkey has maintained a strong presence in the oil-rich north African country after sending its troops to support the United Nations-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli.

Turkey's involvement in the Libya conflict has heightened fears that arms recently collected from South Africa could be used in war.

South Africa's National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) has since appeared before parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Defence regarding the possibility of military hardware purchased by Turkey ending up in Libya.

Under Section 15 of the National Conventional Arms Control Act, South Africa may not sell military equipment and weapons to a country involved in war.

The arms regulator was questioned by parliament about rumours that it approved the export of arms to a country engaged in armed conflict.

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In a press release by parliament, NCACC chairperson Jackson Mthembu denied that the arms control body has “previous knowledge of military hardware destined for Libya.”

According to parliament, Mr Mthembu, who is also South Africa’s Minister in the Presidency, insisted that “the sale and use of military weapons are guided by international protocol, and also by South African regulations that military hardware is not to be sold to countries involved in conflicts.”

Reports in May suggested that one of the six Turkish military cargo aircraft that landed in Cape Town had coronavirus medical supplies, but all planes flew out of South Africa loaded with military equipment purchased from Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM).

This led to fears that the arms would end up in Libya. In denying supplying military hardware to armed conflict, Mr Mthembu said “countries that we interact with in good faith should not do anything that has not been agreed on”.

This comes as South Africa recently amended its arms export rules that could see an increase in the sale of military equipment abroad, potentially netting the country more than a billion dollars.

But every arms transaction would sail through under strict inspections to ensure that the military hardware does not end up in the hands of third parties or used in armed conflict.

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