Arms embargo

An arms embargo is a restriction or a set of sanctions that applies solely to weaponry, and may also apply to "dual-use technology". An arms embargo may serve one or more purposes:

  • to signal disapproval of behavior by a certain actor,
  • to maintain neutrality in an ongoing conflict,
  • as a peace mechanism that is part of a peace process to resolve an armed conflict,[1]
  • to limit the ability of an actor to inflict violence on others, or
  • to weaken country's military capabilities before foreign intervention.

Historical examples

Argentina

United States President Jimmy Carter imposed an arms embargo on the military government of Argentina in 1977 in response to human rights abuses.[2]

An arms embargo was put in place with other economic sanctions by the European Economic Community within a week of the 1982 invasion of the Falkland Islands by Argentina, two British dependent territories in the South Atlantic, an EEC member.[3] The European nations ended the embargo after the end of the ensuing Falklands War; Argentina looked to Western European countries and Israel for arms supplies during the US embargo until it was lifted in 1989.[2]

Indonesia

The United States government imposed an arms embargo against Indonesia in 1999 due to human rights violations in East Timor. The embargo was lifted in 2005.

Iran

The United States imposed economic sanctions against Iran following the Iranian Revolution in 1979. However, to secure the release of American hostages, several senior Reagan Administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran in the 1980s, in a scandal called the Iran–Contra affair.[4] In 1995 the US expanded sanctions to include firms dealing with the Iranian government.[5]

In March 2007, UN Security Council Resolution 1747 tightened the sanctions imposed on Iran in connection with the Iranian nuclear program. The UN sanctions were lifted on 16 January 2016.

People's Republic of China

The United States and the European Union stopped exporting arms to China after 1989, due to the Chinese government's violent suppression of protests in Tiananmen Square. In 2004-05, there was some debate in the EU over whether to lift the embargo.[6] [7]

South Africa

The arms embargo of South Africa from 1977 extended to dual-use items. The embargo was lifted by Resolution 919 in 1994.

United States of America

To protest the Vietnam War, Sweden imposed an arms embargo on the United States in 1966[8]. This notably deprived Navy SEALs of the Carl Gustav m/45 submachine gun, resulting in the creation of the Smith & Wesson M76.

List of current arms embargoes

The countries included in the list are under arms embargo of the United Nations or another international organization (EU, OSCE and others) or country. In some cases the arms embargo is supplemented by a general trade embargo, other sanctions (financial) or travel ban for specific persons. In some cases the arms embargo applies to any entity residing or established in the country, but in others it is partial – the recognized government forces and international peacekeepers are exempted from the embargo.

This list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

Arms embargo by UN

Former embargos

Arms embargo by others

Former embargos

See also

References
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  2. "WORLD : U.S. Ends Argentine Arms Embargo - Los Angeles Times". Los Angelete Times. 21 February 1989.
  3. R.w. Apple Jr. (11 April 1982). "EUROPEANS ENDING ARGENTINE IMPORTS IN FALKLAND CRISIS". The New York Times.
  4. The Iran-Contra Affair 20 Years On Archived 2015-03-20 at the Wayback Machine. The National Security Archive (George Washington University), 2006-11-24
  5. Ariel Zirulnick (24 February 2011). "Sanction Qaddafi? How 5 nations have reacted to sanctions: Iran". The Christian Science Monitor. Archived from the original on 15 November 2011. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
  6. http://www.sldinfo.com/the-eu-arms-embargo-repeal-debate/ Archived 2015-06-07 at the Wayback Machine The EU Arms Embargo Repeal Debate
  7. https://www.academia.edu/5475879/The_EU_Arms_Embargo_on_China_a_Swedish_Perspective_2010_/ Archived 2018-09-28 at the Wayback Machine Hellström, Jerker (2010) "The EU Arms Embargo on China: a Swedish Perspective", Swedish Defence Research Agency
  8. Rottman, Gordon L. (2013). The Big Book of Gun Trivia: Everything you want to know, don’t want to know, and don’t know you need to know. https://books.google.com/books?id=qEnDCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT54: Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 54. ISBN 978-1-78200-949-8.CS1 maint: location (link)
  9. Security Council arms embargo Archived July 4, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  10. DR Congo arms embargo Archived January 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  11. Ivory Coast embargo Archived May 8, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  12. EU Sanctions measures Archived March 31, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  13. Iran embargo Archived November 25, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  14. Iraq embargo Archived June 9, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
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  16. "Embargoes and sanctions on Democratic People's Republic of Korea". GOV.UK. 4 June 2013. Archived from the original on 25 March 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2019.
  17. Lebanon embargo Archived February 14, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  18. Somalia embargo Archived January 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  19. Sudan embargo Archived January 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  20. Rwanda embargo Archived February 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
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  23. United Nations Security Council Resolution 713
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  25. "EU arms embargo on the former SFR of Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Herzegovina) - SIPRI". www.sipri.org. Archived from the original on 2018-08-31. Retrieved 2018-08-31.
  26. OSCE Nagorno Karabakh arms embargo Archived June 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  27. OSCE Nagorno Karabakh arms embargo Archived June 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  28. US Cuba arms embargo
  29. EU Myanmar arms embargo Archived January 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  30. EU China arms embargo Archived January 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  31. US China arms embargo Archived October 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  32. EU Guinea embargo Archived January 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  33. EU Zimbabwe embargo Archived June 4, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  34. Brussels, Associated Press in (9 May 2011). "EU imposes arms embargo on Syria". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 14 March 2016. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
  35. Traynor, Ian (28 May 2013). "UK forces EU to lift embargo on Syria rebel arms". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 January 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
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  37. EU Uzbekistan embargo Archived December 13, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  38. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-05-07. Retrieved 2015-11-09.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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