Michel must go over arms row, says MEP

Date: 05/09/02

By Martin Banks

AN MEP is calling for Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel to resign over his handling of the 'arms-to-Nepal' row.

Bart Staes, a member of the Greens/European Free Alliance group, said the minister's position was 'untenable'.

His comments come after Michel gave his blessing for the sale of 5,500 Minimi machine guns to Nepal, where more than 4,000 people have been killed in the conflict between Maoist rebels and government forces.

Michel has defended the arms shipment by the state-owned Fabrique Nationale, based near Liège in the francophone south of Belgium, saying that Nepal is a 'young democracy'.

The decision, approved at a meeting of the federal inner cabinet, led to the resignation of Flemish Green Magda Aelvoet, the Belgian health and environment minister. Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt responded by issuing reassurances about the stability of the six-party coalition he leads.

Staes, who has also raised the matter in the Belgian parliament, claims the deal is illegal because Belgium's law forbids arms exports to countries engaged in a civil war.

It also contravenes the 1998 European code of conduct on various counts, the MEP says. 'This code of conduct prohibits exports to countries of 'materials that could lead to the provocation or extension of armed conflicts' or 'when the shipment is used for the purpose of domestic oppression'.'

Germany blocked a similar arms deal with Nepal following protests from Greens.

In 1991, a controversial shipment of grenades to Saudi Arabia resulted in a political row that brought down the Martens government in Belgium.

MEP Bart Staes is calling for Belgian Foreign Minister Louis Michel to resign over his handling of the 'arms-to-Nepal' row.