Media reports Germany exporting US cluster bombs to Ukraine
Date
7/28/2024 7:10:43 AM
(MENAFN) Germany is facing scrutiny over allegations that it is facilitating the transit of United States-supplied cluster munitions to Ukraine, reported by public broadcaster NDR on Thursday. The controversy centers around the storage of these controversial weapons at a United States-owned depot in Miesau, western Germany, before their onward shipment to Ukraine as part of American military assistance.
Cluster munitions, which are prohibited by over 110 nations under the 2008 United Nations Convention on Cluster Munitions, pose significant risks to civilian populations due to their ability to scatter small bomblets that can remain unexploded and effectively function as landmines. Despite these international bans and concerns over humanitarian impacts, Germany has been implicated in the logistical support of these munitions to Ukraine, according to the report.
The M864 and M483A1 cluster 155mm artillery shells are among the types of controversial ammunition stored at the Miesau base, confirmed a spokesman for the United States Army Europe and Africa Command to NDR. The arrangement has raised questions about Germany's compliance with its obligations under the United Nations treaty, which it signed in 2008, prohibiting the storage and transport of cluster munitions through the territory of states party to the convention.
Critics, including the Cluster Munition Coalition, an international human rights organization, argue that Germany's role in facilitating the transport of these weapons could be interpreted as a breach of its commitments under the convention. The treaty not only bans the use of cluster munitions but also requires signatory nations to discourage non-party states from employing such weapons.
Despite these allegations, Berlin has reportedly made no visible efforts to intervene in the transit of cluster munitions destined for Ukraine, as outlined in the NDR report. The controversy underscores the delicate balance European nations must navigate between their international treaty obligations, geopolitical alliances, and humanitarian considerations in the context of ongoing conflicts and military aid packages.
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