BAHRI YANBU

General information

Course/Position

Latest news

Dockers refused to load generators on ship with arms for Yemen war

Italian union workers refused to load electricity generators onto the 'Bahri Yanbu' in the latest such protest against the deadly war in Yemen. The vessel had loaded arms in Antwerp, but was prevented from picking up another batch of weapons in Le Havre following protests by human rights groups. Activists said the weapons violated a UN treaty because they could be used against civilians in Yemen. Protesters gathered in Genoa with banners that read "No to war". Unions tried to have the vessel banned from Italy but the ship docked despite the attempts. However, the workers refused to load two generators aboard the ship due to their possible use in the Yemen conflict, not be complicit in what is happening in Yemen. The generators were blocked on the quay. The vessel was due to leave Genoa for Jeddah on Feb 17, but was still berthed as of Feb 18.

Protests against possible weapon cargo in Cherbourg

Activists protested against the 'Bahri Yanbu' in Cherbourg on Feb 6, 2020, which was accused of hbeing loaded with weapons for the Yemen war. They accused Saudi Arabia of waging a "merciless war" and "carrying out unspeakable atrocities against a defenseless people". The human rights organization Amnesty International and the aid organization Oxfam were among those involved in the declaration. The "Bahri Yanbu" had arrived in Cherbourg in the afternoon. Dozens of activists demonstrated against the delivery of weapons to Riyadh. They held up posters with slogans such as "Stop illegal arms sales" and "War crimes in Yemen - 230,000 lives". According to the French government the vessel has an exclusive contract with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Defense. If weapons were actually loaded onto the ship in Cherbourg, the French government had to guarantee that they "would not be used illegally against Yemeni civilians," the organizations said. The government initially did not comment. Saudi Arabia is one of the main customers for French military equipment. In May 2019, several aid organizations successfully prevented a ship from being docked with an arms delivery to Riyadh. French report with photo: http://www.leparisien.fr/international/ventes-d-armes-le-cargo-saoudien-bahri-yanbu-est-arrive-a-cherbourg-sous-escorte-maritime-06-02-2020-8254725.php

Protest in Genova against arms carrier

Workers in Genova protested against arms deliveries to Saudi Arabia after the "Bahri Yanbu" berthed in Genoa on Sep 27, 2019. The ship was loaded with weapons and armored vehicles, according to dockers. However, it has been sealed off and any filming or photography was prohibited. The "Bahri Yanbu" had previously docked in several US ports, first in the port of Houston, then in the port of Dundalk and finally in the port of Wilmington, before it went to Genova. One of the protesting members of the workers' organization C.A.L.P. Port, Riccardo Degl'Innocenti, said the ship was loaded with "armoured vehicles and weapons normally transported from North America and Canada. However, as the ship was constantly monitored and it is forbidden to take photos of the storage, there was no way to provide evidence of this. "The hold is full of armored goods, arms for the Yemen conflict and not just that," said the activist of Degl'Innocenti, adding: "We want this arms trade to be stopped, we do not want them to drive through the port of Genoa." The so-called collective of autonomous dockers had called for the protest.