French weapons in Yemen, things become clearer

Joachim Veliocas

The Disclose investigation team received an unprecedented leaked document classified as “highly confidential”. The document is a 15-page report entitled “The security situation in Yemen” written by military intelligence officers in September 2018.

This secret document was sent to French President Emmanuel Macron and Defense Minister Florence Parly, as well as to the prime minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian on the occasion of the mini defense council dedicated to the Yemen war held on October 3, 2018 at Elysee Palace.

The document, supported by maps of the region, reveals for the first time what the French government is trying to hide: the detailed list of French weapons involved in the Yemen war.

French Leclerc tanks, Mirage 2000-9 jets, Cobra radars, Aravis armored vehicles, Cougar helicopters, and CEASAR guns have all been found to have been used.

Reporters have carefully monitored all types of weapons used in the war and whether these weapons were sold to the Saudi army or to its strong Emirati neighbor. But above all, the report reveals that many French weapons are used on Yemen, including on civilian areas.

Last month, Parly stated, “What I can say is that we have not recently produced any weapons that can be used in the Yemeni conflict.”

However, according to Disclose, pictures of French weapons have been leaked on the Internet, such as Leclerc tanks seen in July 2018 on the road leading to the city of Zadib, as well as the long-range CEASAR guns produced by the company Nexter. Pictures taken last year also show French military vehicles arriving at the port of Jeddah. A memo from the Directorate of Military Intelligence in September 2018 indicates the spread of the cannons along the Yemeni-Saudi border. Parly received the memo but said a few days later, “To my knowledge, recently sold weapons are not used against the civilian population.”

The placement of the guns shows that they have access to civilian areas. It has not been proven conclusively that they have already been used against civilians, but Disclose reported that 35 civilians were killed in the affected area between March 2016 and December 2018.