Rights group sues South African government over US arms exports

Key points

• Johannesburg, South Africa – A South African human rights organisation has filed a court case against the South African government, seeking to suspend arms export permits to the United States, arguing in court papers that the transfers may be inconsistent with domestic law and could raise concerns about international peace and security.
• The Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) said in a news release issued on Tuesday that it has filed an application in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria seeking to suspend or set aside arms export permits granted by South Africa’s Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC).
• SALC is a public interest law organisation working across Southern Africa on constitutional and human rights litigation.
• Legal basis of the challenge In court papers referenced in the news release, SALC argues that the NCACC may have failed to properly apply the standards set out in South Africa’s Conventional Arms Control Act....