A FRESCO FOR YEMEN\ Sur Medecine Du Monde

DENOUNCE THE ROLE OF FRANCE THE CONFLICT IN YEMEN

The conflict in Yemen , which has been going on for five years now, has claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people. With an average of 13 civilians killed per day , September was the deadliest year for Yemeni civilians in 2019. By selling arms to parties to the conflict , France plays a role in this conflict. It is to denounce and warn about this complicity that Murad Subay, Yemeni street artist, is committed to seven NGOs (Action against Hunger, ACAT, Amnesty International France, CARE France, Doctors of the World, Oxfam France and SumOfUs ) with the realization of a fresco in the center of Paris. 

A prodigy of street art from Dhamar, Yemen, and a member of the Artist Protection Fund program , Murad Subay began painting to denounce enforced disappearances and arbitrary arrests. When the conflict erupted in 2014-2015, he continued to paint in Sana’a, on the rubble, transforming them into works of art. Today in the heart of Paris, he calls through his work to the collective responsibility towards the civilians, first victims of the conflict in Yemen.

 

“Every bomb manufactured and shipped to Yemen can break entire families. On the body of Yemenis pass the war, international hypocrisy and weapons, said Murad Subay. “

 

FRANCE MUST RESPECT ITS COMMITMENTS

Since 2016, twelve European countries including Germany, Belgium, Italy and the United Kingdom have announced measures to suspend or limit arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The French government, however, continues to allow arms transfers to parties to the conflict in Yemen, despite the strong mobilization of civil society and the repeated demands for the creation of a parliamentary commission of inquiry on French arms sales .

At present, petitions launched by NGOs Oxfam France , Amnesty International France and SumOfUs have gathered more than 250,000 signatures asking President Emmanuel Macron to stop feeding the Yemeni conflict by exporting French weapons. In order to highlight the extent of this mobilization, signatures will be posted next to the mural and passers-by will be invited to add theirs.

It is time for France to respect its international commitments regarding the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) and the EU Common Position 2008/944 / CFSP. Since there is a major risk that countries use French weapons against civilians, France must stop providing them.

ABOUT THE CONFLICT IN YEMEN

• The conflict in Yemen began in 2014 and escalated in 2015. It opposes forces loyal to President Hadi, supported since 2015 by a coalition led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to the group Ansar Allah (known as name of Houthis)
• The conflict is at the root of one of the world’s biggest humanitarian crises, with 24 million people dependent on foreign aid.
• According to UNDP projections, 233,000 people have been killed since 2015, directly by fighting (100,000), indirectly through lack of access to food, health services and infrastructure.