Media: Saudi soldiers said to be using Swiss arms in Yemen conflict
Swiss weapons are being used by Saudi soldiers in the Yemen conflict, according to the SonntagsBlick newspaper. It has backed up its allegations with a photo.
The photograph in questionExternal link purportedly shows Saudi soldiers holding two weapons made in Switzerland, It dates back to late 2017 and was taken in the Saudi Arabia province of Jizan, the newspaper said.External link This is a border area with Yemen. A Saudi-led military coalition is fighting Houthi forces in the country, in a conflict that started in 2015.
The weapons are reported in the article to be assault rifles of the type 552, manufactured by the Schaffhausen company Swiss Arms. According to SonntagsBlick, Swiss rifles are being exchanged on the black market in Yemen. The weapons seem to have come from a delivery originally approved by the Swiss government, it continued.
In 2006, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) gave the green light to the sale of 106 assault rifles of the type 552 to the Saudi marines, a spokesman told the newspaper.
Swiss Arms told SonntagsBlick that it had delivered assault rifles to Saudi Arabia in accordance with the law.
Saudi relations
The news comes when the spotlight is being put on Swiss-Saudi relations and exports.
On October 24, the Swiss government said it wanted to re-assess its political relations with Saudi Arabia following the killing of a Saudi dissident, Jamal Khashoggi, in Turkey.
The government says it has asked Swiss armament companies to use restraint in business deals with Saudi Arabia.
Swiss weapons exports to Riyadh were suspended in 2009, but existing contracts for air defence ammunition and spare parts will be honoured, according to Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann.
More
More
Swiss government to review ties with Saudi Arabia
This content was published on
Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis says Switzerland may reconsider policy change with Saudi Arabia.
Israel: president of Swiss universities rejects academic boycott
This content was published on
Luciana Vaccaro, president of Swissuniversities, the umbrella group of Swiss universities, is not in favour of an academic boycott of Israeli universities.
First large-scale alpine solar plant approved in Switzerland
This content was published on
The approval was met with satisfaction by the project's organisers, but it also brings with it a certain amount of pressure.
Medieval squirrels may have ‘helped spread leprosy’
This content was published on
An examination of squirrel remains in the United Kingdom has opened up interesting questions and possibilities in terms of the history of the disease.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss firms attend Saudi forum despite Khashoggi death
This content was published on
Few CEOs, but big Swiss businesses are still very present at Saudi Arabia’s controversial Future Investment Initiative summit this week.
This content was published on
Aircraft manufacturer Pilatus rejects allegations it did not properly inform foreign affairs ministry about logistic support deal for Saudi army.
Yemen peace talks in Geneva fail to get off the ground
This content was published on
Talks in Geneva to end the civil war in Yemen ended Saturday before they had even begun, with Houthi rebels failing to show up.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.