Church Leaders Call on Government to Close Arms Export Unit

Thirty major church leaders in the UK have come together to sign a statement which calls on the Government to close its arms sales unit.

The statement for the closure of the Defence Export Service Organisation (DESO) was signed by senior figures from across the Anglican, Methodist, Baptist, Roman Catholic and United Reformed Church who joined the Fellowship of Reconciliation's 'Stop Living by the Sword' campaign, reports theological think tank Ekklesia.

The campaign is seeking to curb the push of UK arms and military equipment sales oversees by DESO, which marks its fortieth anniversary this year.

Countries particularly targeted by DESO's "pro-active" arms trading approach are Iraq and Libya, Colombia and Kazakhstan.

A DESO Day of Action has been planned for 16 October to protest their arms push. The event will bring together the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FoR), the Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) and numerous organisations as they form a human chain around the DESO offices in central London and lobby Parliament.

Chris Cole, Director of FoR said: "One specific area that our partners, continually worry about is the availability of weapons in their countries. They argue that the continued push of arms from countries like the UK, undermines their vital work of building peace, community and security.

"We, and our partners, many of whom are working in great danger and difficulty, are extremely pleased that UK Church leaders are backing the call to close DESO."