UAE distances itself from munitions found in Libya

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has denied ownership of advanced munitions that were apparently captured in Libya by forces fighting for the internationally recognised Government of National Accord (GNA).

Four Norinco GP6 155 mm laser-guided artillery projectiles, three containers for Javelin missiles, and a Javelin launch tube are seen displayed in Tripoli on 29 June by Operation Burkan al-Ghadab, the co-ordinating body for GNA-aligned forces. (AFP/Getty Images)

The UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on 2 July saying it “affirms the United Arab Emirates’ commitment to the UN Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973 on sanctions and arms embargo, denying the ownership of weapons found in Libya, and re-iterating the UAE’s commitment to fully co-operate with UN experts”.

The munitions were apparently found when GNA forces captured Gharyan, a town south of Tripoli, from the rival Libyan National Army (LNA) faction in a rapid advance on 26 June. The GNA forces displayed them for journalists in the capital on 29 July and claimed they were from the UAE.

The items included at least three containers for US-made Javelin anti-tank missiles with at least one launch tube and four munitions marked as 155 mm GP6 rounds: a type of laser-guided artillery projectile made by the Chinese company Norinco.

The Javelin containers were marked with a contract number (W31P4Q-04-C-0136) that covered a July 2008 order for USD103 million worth of Javelin missiles, launchers, and support equipment for the UAE and Oman. The only other deliveries covered by that contract appear to have gone to the US military. The containers also had production lot numbers that should make it easy to track the recipients.

A US Department of State official told Jane’s