Congo (DRC)
Firearm Buyback Creates Market, Organisers Drop Gun Price in DR Congo
Xinhua
29 January 2010
KINSHASA -- A "firearms for money" operation will be launched on Jan. 28 in the restive eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DR Congo) in the central African country's another bid to restore peace and stability, a source in charge has disclosed. Pastor Daniel Ngoy Mulunda Nyanga, the initiator of the operation, made the disclosure after a meeting with Governor of North Kivu province Julien Paluku in the provincial... ( gunpolicy.org )
South Africa,Angola,Togo
"Guns and Football Do Not Go Together"
Times Live (South Africa)
11 January 2010
Head of the 2010 local organising committee (LOC) Danny Jordaan described as "stupid" people who questioned South Africa's security measures for the World Cup after Friday's attack on the Togolese soccer team. "It doesn't make sense. If a bomb went off in Spain, do you think I should call England to ask about what the impact is on the Olympics England is organising? I think if something happens in France, you'll know it happened... ( gunpolicy.org )
Togo,Angola
2 Arrested, 3 Dead in Togo Team Bus Shooting
BBC News
10 January 2010
Angolan authorities have arrested two people over a deadly attack on Togo's football team at the Africa Cup of Nations tournament, state media says. Angola's National Radio reported that two suspects were arrested in the northern province of Cabinda - where Togo's team bus was attacked on Friday. Cabinda has seen a low-level insurgency for many years. Two Togolese officials and the Angolan bus driver were killed... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
Togo Team Bus Attacked by Automatic Gunfire, 1 Dead, 9 Hurt
Associated Press
8 January 2010
LUANDA, Angola - Gunmen in an area plagued by separatist violence used machine guns to open fire Friday on a bus carrying Togo's national soccer team to a tournament in this southwest African country, killing the driver and wounding at least nine people, including two players. Some players said they wanted to pull out of the African Cup of Nations tournament following the violence, but an official in Angola said it would go ahead... ( gunpolicy.org )
Central Africa,East Africa,Kenya,Rwanda,Somalia,Sudan,Uganda,Burundi,Congo (DRC)
Small Arms Control Group Decries 'Huge' Proliferation of Guns in Africa
Xinhua
3 November 2009
NAIROBI -- The Regional Center on Small Arms (RECSA) has decried the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the Great Lakes region, Horn of Africa and bordering states. RECSA Executive Secretary Francis Sang noted that the center was working in collaboration with the UN Regional Center for Peace and Disarmament in Africa to promote disarmament. To address this problem, he said, the governments should support the... ( gunpolicy.org )
East Africa, Central Africa
East, Central African Countries Harmonise Laws to Curb Gun Trafficking
East African (Nairobi)
7 September 2009
NAIROBI -- Countries from the Great Lakes region and Horn of Africa are to harmonise their laws to fight the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. "In order to address the problem effectively, we have resolved to harmonise our laws so that we can rein in the culprits. Our state arms are being marked to help in tracing them if they fall into the wrong hands," Tanzania Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Dominic Hayuma... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, Congo (DRC)
Zimbabwe, Congo Fuelling Gun, Ammo Trafficking in East, Central Africa
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg)
21 July 2009
Arms and ammunition manufactured in Zimbabwe could be finding its way to Western markets, despite sanctions on President Robert Mugabe's government, according to a new international report. Zimbabwe -- Arms and Corruption: Fuelling Human Rights Abuses, prepared by conflict researchers International Peace Information Service (IPIS), states that Mugabe is still able to profit from an arms trade that includes agents from Europe and... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, South Africa, Congo (ROC), Montenegro, United States
US, Congo, Zimbabwe, Montenegro All Involved in Gun Running - Report
Sunday Independent (South Africa)
12 July 2009
Zimbabwe is not only stockpiling modern weapons, but is circumventing sanctions by exporting arms to the US via Eastern Europe, according to a report to be released this week. According to the International Peace Information Service (IPIS), a Belgian research hub, the situation in Zimbabwe is a good example of why the UN-proposed Arms Trade Treaty needs to be as comprehensive as possible. Throughout last year, when the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, Rwanda, Central Africa, East Africa, Southern Africa
Rwanda to Host UN Global Gun Control Meeting in Kigali, 8-9 July
United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs / UNODA (New York), Media release
3 July 2009
Rwanda will host a United Nations regional meeting on the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons for States of the Horn of Africa, the Great Lakes region and Southern Africa, on 8 and 9 July, in Kigali, the capital. The meeting is organized by the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA), through its United Nations Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa (UNREC) and in collaboration with the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Cameroon
Communities in Cameroon Urged to Join Global Gun Control Campaign
Cameroon Tribune
29 June 2009
Granting a press briefing in Yaounde recently on the dangers of the gun in most communities, as part of activities of the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence, the Executive director of the Cameroon Youths for Peace (CAMYOSFOP), Eugine Ngalim Nyuydine recalled the United Nations efforts to stop Small Arms and Light weapons (SALW). Taking questions from journalists on the week long activities against gun violence, he said they... ( gunpolicy.org )
Benin, Gabon
Smuggled Bullets Undo Gabon-Benin Arms Trafficking Ring [Francais]
Fraternité (Cotonou)
29 June 2009
COTONOU, Benin -- [Translated summary: A boat captain and a Benin resident have been arrested for trafficking in arms, after a local received a package of ammunition shipped from Libreville, Gabon.] Les armes circulent au Bénin. Et ceci, au nez et à la barbe des forces de sécurité publique. La preuve, le Quai C du port de Cotonou semble devenir la plaque tournante du trafic d'armes. Et un réseau de trafiquants qui défie le... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria, Ukraine, Equatorial Guinea
Crew of Impounded, Gun-filled Ukrainian Plane Moved to Nigerian Capital
This Day (Lagos)
22 June 2009
KANO -- The seven-member crew of the Ukrainian aircraft that flew into the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on Tuesday with arms and ammunition were yesterday moved to the Abuja office of the Directorate of Military intelligence (DMI) for further investigation. A Nigerian clearing agent linked with the Ukrainian aircraft, simply identified as Sylvester, was also taken to the DMI office with the crew. Sources also... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria, Ukraine, Equatorial Guinea
Ukrainian Plane, Gun Cargo Seized in Nigeria May Be 'Meant for Militants'
Vanguard (Lagos)
21 June 2009
Military authorities yesterday said the Ukranian cargo aircraft loaded with arms and ammunition, which was seized at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport last week, was the type of aircraft used for arms smuggling and that they have no reason not to believe that the arms were not meant for militants in the Niger Delta. According to the military, whether the cache of weapons were destined for Equitorial Guinea or Niger Delta,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Equatorial Guinea, Nigeria, Ukraine, Guinea-Bissau, West Africa
Nigeria Seizes Planeload of Guns, Military Ammunition for Mystery Client
Daily Trust (Abuja)
19 June 2009
The huge consignment of weapons found in the Ukrainian cargo plane now detained at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano was procured by the Ministry of Defence of Equatorial Guinea, the crew members of the detained plane told security agents yesterday. They insisted that they were on their way to Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, to deliver the arms consignment from the former Soviet Republic of the Ukraine when... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria, Ukraine, Equatorial Guinea
Nigeria Impounds Ukrainian Plane Carrying Guns for Equatorial Guinea
Reuters
18 June 2009
KANO, Nigeria -- A Ukrainian cargo plane bound for Equatorial Guinea has been impounded in Nigeria after security officers found weapons and ammunition on board, a Nigerian official and Ukrainian media said. The official at northern Nigeria's Kano airport, who asked not to be named, said the plane had stopped to refuel late on Wednesday when the arms were discovered during a routine search. Nigerian police confirmed that... ( gunpolicy.org )
Portugal, Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Sao Tome & Principe, Timor-Leste
Police Chiefs of Portuguese-speaking Nations Meet to Curb Gun Running
Diario de Noticias (Lisbon)
12 June 2009
CPLP (Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries) police chiefs have created a committee to fight arms trafficking through tighter controls of legal arms sales. The PSP (Portuguese Public Security Police) has suggested to the CPLP chiefs of police a harmonization of legislation relating to the trade and transport of firearms. The objective is to prevent the considerable number of weapons circulating legally between these countries... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria, Chad
Four Female Gun Traffickers, Smugglers Hunted by Nigerian Police
Daily Trust (Abuja)
10 June 2009
Four suspected female arms dealers who belong to a syndicate that specialises in supplying arms to armed robbers in different parts of the country, especially in the North-east have been declared wanted by the Taraba State Police command. Taraba Police Commissioner, Aliyu Musa, who made this known to Daily Trust in Jalingo yesterday gave the names of the suspects as Awotu, Akudi, Abanyi and Akwen. He said all of them belong... ( gunpolicy.org )
Central African Republic
Under the Gun - Violence and Displacement in Central African Republic
IRIN (UN News)
28 May 2009
NAIROBI -- The Central African Republic (CAR) has been in the throes of a humanitarian crisis for more than a decade. Army mutinies, coups and attempted coups, rebellions, gangs that kidnap for ransom and, more recently, elements of Uganda's notorious Lord's Resistance Army have made life for civilians, especially in the north, extremely challenging, unpredictable, and very dangerous. As IRIN's new documentary film, Under the Gun,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
Over 55,000 Guns Collected, Destroyed in Angola During the Past Year
Angola Press Agency
25 May 2009
LUANDA -- The National Disarmament Commission collected since the start of this process in 2008 about 55,754 fire-arms, 204,270 ammunitions and 15,781 explosives, informed Monday in Luanda the Second National Police Commander, Paulo de Almeida. The official gave these data during a lecture that delivered on the theme "Disarmament of the civilian population in Angola", in the ambit of the conference on "Peace, reconciliation and... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
55,064 Illegal Guns Collected, 60 Convicted of Possession in Angola
Angola Press
17 April 2009
LUANDA -- Some sixty people were sentenced this year by the Court to correctional terms of six to seven months of effective prison for illegal possession of firearms, said Friday the second commander-general of National Police, Paulo de Almeida. Speaking to Angop, at the first anniversary of the approval of Government's programme for disarmament of the population, the commissioner de Almeida announced the need to work hard toward... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (DRC)
Guns Empower Rapists, Drive HIV/Aids, Rob Congo Families of Future
Daily Nation (Nairobi), Opinion
5 March 2009
The horror of sexual violence that has blighted the lives of women and girls in DR Congo is nowhere more apparent than at Panzi Hospital, in Bukavu. The first thing that strikes you is the long queue of women. In some parts of East Congo, three out of four women have been raped during the 14 years of conflict. Panzi is East Congo's leading referral hospital for rape survivors, who constitute over two thirds of its patients.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (ROC)
Congo Pays US$200 Each to Buy Back, Destroy 3,000 Assault Weapons
IRIN (UN News)
4 March 2009
BRAZZAVILLE -- At least 2,800 weapons recovered from ex-combatants in a three-week operation in the southern Pool region, site of several civil wars between 1998 and 2003, have been destroyed, according to a government official. "On Monday afternoon, in Kinkala, we incinerated some 2,873 weapons collected from ninja ex-combatants in the Pool region," Moandzibi Olingoba, the commissioner in charge of the economic reintegration of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (ROC)
Congo Gun Amnesty, Buyback to Collect 3,000 Weapons for Destruction
IRIN (UN News)
13 February 2009
BRAZZAVILE -- The Congolese government has started an operation to buy 3,000 weapons from ex-combatants and others illegally possessing weapons in the Pool region, southern Congo, an official told IRIN on 11 February. "Teams have been deployed on the ground. The operation to buy up the weapons started on 10 February in Pool region. It should allow the purchase of at least 3,000 weapons still in circulation in this zone," Moandzibi... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (DRC)
Rebel Attacks Fuel Illegal Gun, Ammunition Factories in Eastern Congo
San Francisco Chronicle
12 February 2009
BANGADI, Congo -- The weapons on display are all homemade: menacing-looking hunting knives, lances made of sticks topped with metal spears, long-barrelled shotguns. For decades, people in this Congolese town have made guns. But the industry has become a roaring business as people in this remote northeastern region arm themselves against the fearsome rebels of the Lord's Resistance Army. In this town overrun by refugees... ( gunpolicy.org )
Nigeria, Chad
West African Gun Smuggling Route Was Run by a Woman from Chad
Daily Trust (Abuja)
8 February 2009
KANO, Nigeria -- Last week, a hunter and crime buster, Ali Kwara, cracked down on a robbery gang that led to the arrest of a man who claimed to be a supplier of arms and ammunitions to robbers and ethno-religious warlords during crises. In this chat with Sunday Trust, Sarki Azetu, 31, gives shocking revelations. As a fisherman in a small village in Benue, Sarki Azetu was that dexterous with net, and according to him, his cast was... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (DRC)
Congo Buyback Collects 3,000 Guns, Mainly from Women: Many Stolen?
IRIN (UN News)
15 December 2008
KINSHASA -- Hundreds of people in Kinshasa have handed over illegal weapons for cash and cloth in a no-questions-asked campaign to reduce crime in the Democratic Republic of Congo. AK-47 automatic rifles, Uzi sub-machine guns and rocket launchers were among the 3,000 or so weapons collected over the past three weeks by the Ecumenical Programme for Peace, Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation (PAREC), an NGO. Those in working... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
Amnesty Yields 1,589 'Freely Surrendered' Illegal Guns in Angola
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
15 November 2008
ONDJIVA -- At least 1,589 firearms of assorted calibers were freely surrendered to the National Police in Ondjiva, southern Cunene province, under the second phase of the National Campaign of Disarming of People in illegal Possession of Firearms. The information was released to Angop by the coordinator of the sub-technical commission for disarming, Domingos Francisco Adão. The officer said that the weapons were surrendered... ( gunpolicy.org )
Central Africa, Congo (DRC)
'Disastrous Impact' of Illicit Gun Trafficking on Women in Central Africa
Pambazuka News (Africa/UK), Web Page
18 September 2008
It is with much interest that the women's network of IANSA followed the different interventions presented since the beginning of this meeting. This is an opportunity to advance the application of the Program of Action for the control of small arms and light weapons, in all its aspects, including gender violence. The illicit use of small arms includes the offences of domestic violence as well as sexual violence against women. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
Rwanda, Central Africa, East Africa
Firearm Marking, Fight Against Gun Proliferation 'On Track' in Rwanda
New Times (Kigali)
19 August 2008
KIGALI -- Rwanda has adequately tackled internal proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons that were rampant in the country due to the 1994 Genocide revealed Army Spokesman, Major Jill Rutaremara. Rutaremara is part of the Rwandan delegation attending the three-day conference (18-22 August) on Small Arms and Light Weapons proliferation in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa taking place at the Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
219 Guns Surrendered to Angola Police Considered 'Very Little' Result
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
18 August 2008
LUANDA -- At least 219 firearms have been surrendered to the National Police in Luanda's high density Sambizanga district, since the beginning of the disarming process, a source from the corporation has announced. According to the second commander of the local police, who presented this figures while addressing the theme "Disarming of civilian is a public security matters", considered the figure as very little, taking into account... ( gunpolicy.org )
Uganda, East Africa, Central Africa
African Great Lakes Nations Brand State Guns to Detect Theft, Diversion
Daily Monitor (Kampala)
18 August 2008
KAMPALA -- Countries in the Great Lakes region have been given up to December 30 to brand all light and small weapons in their possession as a means of checking on soaring proliferation of illegal guns. The Executive Director of the Regional Center for Small Arms-Nairobi Chapter, Dr Francis Sang, who was yesterday addressing a three-day conference on small arms and light weapons in Kampala, urged regional member states to observe... ( gunpolicy.org )
Uganda, East Africa, Central Africa
Uganda, African Neighbours Given Ultimatum to Brand All State Guns
New Vision (Kampala)
18 August 2008
Uganda and other countries in the Great Lakes region have up to December 30 to brand the firearms under State control. Dr. Francis Sang, the executive secretary of the Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light Weapons, yesterday announced the ultimatum in Kampala. "All the firearms under state control should be taken care of to avoid misuse. That is why we have set December 30 this year as the deadline for all member states... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
23,444 Guns Seized from Civilians, Stored by Government, Angola Tells UN
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
17 July 2008
NEW YORK -- The Angolan government reiterated its commitment to fighting the proliferation of guns in society, thus having adopted practical and pragmatic measures aimed for the materialisation of the United Nations Action plan on this matter. Speaking at the 3rd Biennial Conference on Small Arms and Light Weapons, happening on 14-18 July at UN headquarters, New York, the Angolan delegation advocated the need to improve small arms... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mali, West Africa, Central Africa
Gun Running, Weapon Trafficking Worsen in West Africa, Central Africa
IRIN (UN News)
10 July 2008
BAMAKO/TIMBUKTU -- Mali has become an established transit route for weapons heading from West Africa's increasingly peaceful coastal states to active conflicts in West and Central Africa, an ECOWAS expert has warned. "There are two factors on the supply side -- stabilisation in Cote d'Ivoire and in Guinea Conakry," said Jonathan Sandy, small arms programme manager with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Bamako,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
Government Announces Forcible Disarming of Civilians in Angola
Angola Press Agency
7 July 2008
LUANDA -- Angolan Government announced that coercive disarming of civilians in illegal possession of firearms started in the country on Friday, Angop learned in Luanda. The announcement that included an appeal for those still in possession of firearms to voluntarily hand them in and thus avoid punishment, came at the end of a meeting of the National Commission for Civilians Disarming headed by the prime minister, Fernando da Piedade... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
Citizens Voluntarily Hand Over 787 Guns Prior to 'Coercive Phase' in Angola
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
3 June 2008
SAURIMO -- About 787 firearms were handed over voluntarily, by citizens illegally owning them, to the National Police in the north-east Lunda Sul province since the beginning of the disarming process last April. According to the spokesperson of the provincial command of the Police in Lunda Sul, told ANGOP this Tuesday that the weapons were handed over in the districts of Saurimo with 440, Muconda with 136, Cacolo with 107 and Dala... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
Gun Amnesty Collects 1,654 Illegal Firearms for Destruction in Angola
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
15 May 2008
UIGE -- Some 1,654 fire-arms of various types were handed over voluntarily, by citizens owning them illegally, to the National Police in the northern Uige Province, from April up to the present date, said Thursday the province's deputy governor for organisation and technical services, Miguel Cutoca. Speaking to ANGOP, Miguel Cutoca, who is also coordinator of the provincial commission for disarmament, said that during this period... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
Illegal Guns Slow Angola's National Reconciliation: Disarmament the Answer
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
6 May 2008
MALANJE -- Northern Malanje Province governor Cristovao da Cunha on Monday here considered that the illegal possession of fire-arms can create constrains to the national reconciliation process among Angolans. The official was speaking at the opening of the provincial seminar on disarmament of civilians, having added that the illegal possession of weapons represents an individual and collective insecurity for Angolans. He... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, United States, France, Canada, Germany, Angola, Thailand, Australia, Colombia, South Africa, Turkey, Pakistan, Russia, Brazil, United Kingdom, India, China
Guns Around the World: Civilian Firearms per 100 People in 16 Nations
Economist
30 April 2008
An estimated 875m small arms are in circulation worldwide: one for every seven people on the planet. Nearly three-quarters of these are owned by civilians. And about 80% of those guns in civilian hands are found in just 30 countries, according to the Small Arms Survey, a research group. Although America accounts for 40% of firearms in civilian ownership, people put them to more deadly use elsewhere. The gun murder rate in Colombia... ( gunpolicy.org )
Namibia, Zimbabwe, Angola, China
Cargo of Chinese Guns, Ammunition Visits Namibia on Way to Zimbabwe
Namibian (Windhoek)
22 April 2008
A Chinese ship carrying six containers of ammunition for Zimbabwe has applied to take on fuel at Walvis Bay this morning. The An Yue Jiang is carrying three million rounds of AK-47 ammunition, 1 500 rocket-propelled grenades and more than 3 000 mortar rounds and mortar tubes. Attempts to get comment from Government yesterday were unsuccessful. Messages were left for Minister of Information, Joel Kaapanda, but he... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, China, South Africa, United States, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia
China Says Ship Carrying Ammunition, Guns to Zimbabwe May Head Home
Associated Press
22 April 2008
HARARE, Zimbabwe -- A shipment of weapons to Zimbabwe may be returned to China, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday, after the troubled southern African nation's neighbors prevented the cargo from being unloaded. The Chinese freighter arrived in South Africa last week, and human rights groups and others said they feared the mortar grenades and bullets onboard could be used by President Robert Mugabe's regime to clamp down... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, China, South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia, Zambia
Chinese Ammunition 'Ship of Shame' Adrift in Southern African Controversy
IRIN (UN News)
22 April 2008
JOHANNESBURG -- There were conflicting reports about the whereabouts of a Chinese ship, laden with a cargo of small arms destined for Zimbabwe, after it was turned away from South Africa's port city of Durban. According to some reports, the 150-metre multipurpose cargo vessel, the An Yue Jiang - registered in China and one of 600 vessels owned by the China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), dubbed by South African media as the "Ship... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, China, South Africa, United States, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia
Gun Cargo Rejection 'Dramatic Turn' for Africa's Embrace of Zimbabwe
Washington Post
22 April 2008
JOHANNESBURG -- A Chinese ship carrying weapons and ammunition for Zimbabwe's military may be headed back home, reports said, after repeated attempts to deliver its cargo were frustrated by a coalition of legal activists, union workers and human rights groups. The region's resistance to the shipment, which drew praise from the United States on Tuesday, marks a dramatic turn from southern Africa's traditional embrace of Zimbabwe's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, Angola, China
Southern African Ports Shun Ship Carrying Guns to Zimbabwe; US Agrees
Los Angeles Times / Chicago Tribune
22 April 2008
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- Public outcries have forced a rusty Chinese cargo ship to avoid South Africa, Mozambique and Angola, leaving it at sea Tuesday with 77 tons of munitions bound for Zimbabwe, where an election crisis has reportedly turned violent. The An Yue Jiang was carrying about 3 million rounds of Chinese ammunition, 1,500 rockets and 3,000 mortar shells. The State Department's top Africa envoy, who is to arrive... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Angola, South Africa, China
US Seeks to Block Zimbabwe-bound Chinese Ammunition, Gun Shipment
Associated Press
22 April 2008
WASHINGTON -- The Bush administration is intervening with governments in southern Africa to prevent a Chinese ship carrying weapons for Zimbabwe's security forces from unloading its cargo, The Associated Press has learned. At the same time, the State Department's top Africa hand, Jendayi Frazer, plans to visit the region this week to underscore U.S. concerns about the shipment. Frazer also will try to persuade Zimbabwe's neighbors... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, China, South Africa, Mozambique, Angola, Namibia
Zimbabwe Bristles at Southern Africa's Rejection of Guns, Ammo Cargo
News24 (Cape Town)
22 April 2008
HARARE -- Zimbabwe bristled at criticism for buying arms from China on Tuesday, as pressure mounted on its neighbours to keep a load of weapons from reaching their destination. China said a Chinese ship carrying the shipment might return home without offloading its cargo. The ship arrived in South Africa last week carrying Chinese weapons for landlocked Zimbabwe. South African human rights, union and others groups objected,... ( gunpolicy.org )
East Africa, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia, Sudan, Seychelles, Eritrea, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Congo (DRC)
East African Nations Will Mark All State-owned Guns to Reduce Leakage
East African (Nairobi)
21 April 2008
NAIROBI -- All firearms in the Great Lakes Region, East Africa and the Horn of Africa will soon be marked with country codes, force code and serial numbers in the fight against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. A workshop organised by the Regional Centre on Small Arms and held recently on Kenya's South Coast was told that 12 manual arms-marking machines have already been purchased through funding from the US government... ( gunpolicy.org )
Zimbabwe, South Africa, Angola, China
South African Court, Unions, NGOs Block Guns, Ammo Cargo to Zimbabwe
Scotland on Sunday
20 April 2008
Dockyard workers in Africa are refusing to unload a Chinese ship laden with weapons for Zimbabwe. The whereabouts of the vessel, the An Yue Jiang, were not known last night, although it was believed to be heading to Angola. Sources say the ship is carrying three million rounds of AK-47 ammunition along with 1,500 rocket-propelled grenades and several thousand mortar rounds. Dock workers in the region are expected to refuse... ( gunpolicy.org )
West Africa, Central Africa
UN Helps West and Central African Countries Fight Scourge of Illicit Guns
UN News Centre (New York), Media release
16 April 2008
A two-day United Nations conference seeking to help West and Central African nations bolster their abilities to identify and trace illicit small arms and light weapons kicks off tomorrow in Lomé, Togo. Held by the Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa -- part of the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs -- the gathering will assist countries' efforts to implement the International Instrument to Enable States to Identify... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
Another 668 Civilian Guns Voluntarily Surrendered for Destruction In Angola
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
14 April 2008
LUBANGO -- Six hundred and 68 firearms were handed over voluntarily by citizens, last March, to the command of the National Police in central Huíla province, in light of the process of disarming the civil population, underway in the country, ANGOP learnt from an official source. The assistant co-ordinator of the provincial sub-commission of disarmament, 1st superintendent Feliciano António explained at a press conference that... ( gunpolicy.org )
Italy, Libya, Chad, Sudan, China
Libya Tried to Buy 1 Million Chinese Assault Rifles, Perhaps for Chad, Sudan
Associated Press
13 April 2008
PERUGIA, Italy -- The Libyan officer tried to cloak the purpose of his call to the Italian arms dealer. "A friend," he said, wanted to buy 1 million "pieces" and 50 million items of "food." But when that phone call was placed in 2006, Italian police were listening. They knew the meaning. Libya was shopping for guns -- lots of them. Authorities shadowed the negotiations between Libyan officials and a group of black-market... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya, East Africa, Central Africa
Central, East African Nations Begin to Mark, Register and Trace Legal Guns
Daily Nation (Nairobi)
7 April 2008
Twelve African countries Sunday reaffirmed their commitment to the marking of all state-owned small arms and light weapons by end of this year. The Regional Centre on Small Arms (Recsa) deputy executive secretary ambassador Tharcisse Midonzi said the 12 countries from the Great Lakes region, East Africa and Horn of Africa had also agreed to maintain data bases to ease the tracing of small arms and light weapons. Mr Midonzi... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya, East Africa, Central Africa
Central, East African States Launch Gun Marking Scheme to Curb Trafficking
East African Standard (Nairobi)
2 April 2008
NAIROBI -- Kenya became the first country in the Great Lakes region and the Horn of Africa to mark its small arms and light weapons. During a symbolic ceremony that coincided with a regional workshop on small arms and light weapons marking and data management, equipment belonging to the Kenya Police was marked. An expert from South Africa, Mr Anthony Coetzee, marked a G-3 rifle and a Ceska pistol using a Marking Press Machine.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
Angolan Government, NGOs Warn Civilians to Surrender Their Illegal Guns
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
6 March 2008
LUANDA -- Every country, after going through an armed conflict, must proceed with the collection of weapons and ammunitions that are illegally under the possession of its citizens, as a means of guaranteeing stability and security of the population, as well as a reduction in crimes. The conclusion came from the International Workshop on the Disarmament of Citizens Illegally Owning Firearms, promoted from Tuesday to Wednesday by... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
Angolan Govt Will Disarm Civilians, Then Destroy or Recirculate Their Guns
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
6 March 2008
LUANDA -- The programme of disarming of civilians in illegal possession of weapons will take four phases, which will help outline consistent plans for a successful operation. This was said Wednesday in Luanda by the Home minister, Roberto Leal Monteiro "Ngongo", while addressing the closing of the two-day workshop on disarming of civilians in unlawful possession of firearms. According to the minister, the first phase will... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola, Central Africa
Angola, UNDP Discuss Disarmament of Citizens Illegally Owning Firearms
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
6 March 2008
LUANDA -- The co-ordinator of UNDP's Small Arms Control Programme in Central America, Miguel Barreiro Laredo Thursday considered positive the International Workshop on the Disarmament of Citizens Illegally Owning Firearms, held from March 04 to 05 in Luanda. Speaking to ANGOP at Luanda's "04 de Fevereiro" International Airport, on his way to Spain, Miguel Laredo said that during the event an important political desire was showed... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
Angola Presses Ahead with Campaign to Disarm Civilians, Seize Illegal Guns
Angola Press
4 March 2008
LUANDA -- An international workshop on the disarmament of citizens illegally owning firearms will be held from March 04 to 05, at the Palace of Congresses, in a promotion of the Angolan Home Affairs Ministry. The workshop will gather experts of Angola, Mozambique, South Africa, Namibia, Nicaragua, USA and England, who will share experiences about the implementation of disarmament programmes in various countries. The meeting... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (ROC)
Congolese Troops Collect, Destroy Surplus Guns, Ammunition, Explosives
IRIN (UN News)
28 February 2008
BRAZZAVILLE -- Armed forces in the Republic of Congo have begun to collect and destroy all weapons abandoned on battlegrounds in the country's civil war that began in 1997, as well as munitions that had expired but were still in armouries. The move follows President Denis Sassou Nguesso's declaration that 2008 would be "a year without illegal weapons in Congo". "Our duty is to collect and destroy all the equipment abandoned... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
Angola Debates Law to Disarm Citizens in Possession of Illegal Guns
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
26 February 2008
LUANDA -- The Resolution Draft on the disarming of citizens in illegal possession of guns will be debated this Tuesday, by the National Assembly, ANGOP has learnt. The plenary session will also analyse the government's request for authorisation to legislate on updating the Customs Tariffs. The lawmakers will also debate the management of the public television (TPA)'s Channel 2, whose alleged privatisation has caused a great... ( gunpolicy.org )
Sudan, China, Chad, Austria
Guns, Grenade Launchers in Chad, Darfur Traced Back to China, Austria
Mother Jones (USA)
22 February 2008
My first glimpse into the flow of small arms into Darfur began at 4:45 on a February morning in 2006. The lights were off in the first-class Sudan Airways lounge at Khartoum International Airport. Sitting to my left was Abdallah, resplendent in white robes, sporting spectacles and a sharply trimmed goatee. Back then, Abdallah's younger brother, Mahamat Nour, was the leader of an 8,000-man rebel force sworn to overthrow the government of... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (DRC)
UN Experts Call for Increased Monitoring of Gun-running to Congo, Africa
UN News Service (New York)
19 February 2008
The Group of Experts dealing with illegal arms flows into and around the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has called for the strengthening of the monitoring capacity of the United Nations Mission in the vast African nation. In recommendations in its report that was made public today, the five-member panel urged that the mission, known as MONUC, should be notified of "all incoming shipments of military supplies in a timely... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
Angola Plans 'Guns for Development' Weapon Collection, Destruction
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
30 January 2008
LUANDA -- Angolan Home minister, Roberto Leal Monteiro "Ngongo", said Wednesday in Luanda that his institution will intensify actions to disarm the civilian population. Speaking in an interview with the State-controlled "Rádio Nacional de Angola" broadcasting station, the official said the Interior Ministry has for that purpose defined three phases for the process. He mentioned sensitising and organisation (including a... ( gunpolicy.org )
Namibia, Angola, Southern Africa
Police Destroy 3 Tonnes of Illegal Firearms, Ammunition in Southern Africa
Namibian (Windhoek)
26 November 2007
WINDHOEK -- Three tonnes of illegal firearms and ammunition collected during a joint police operation in northern Namibia and south Angola were destroyed in the desert near Walvis Bay on Friday. According to the operation's co-ordinator, Oshana Regional Police Commander Ndahangapo Kashihakumwa, Operation Mandume was the first operation of its kind and magnitude in Namibia and involved the police of Namibia, Angola and South Africa.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States, Congo (DRC)
Diplomats from Congo Buy 30 Handguns, Ammo at New York Gun Shop
Village Voice (New York)
16 October 2007
The black Lincoln Town Car's tinted windows obscured the passengers as it left Chinatown one afternoon late in September. Inside were three diplomats from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and their newly purchased cache of more than 30 military-style handguns. What better Gotham souvenir to bring home to the kids than a cocked and locked Colt .45? More likely, the men needed the weapons either to combat or to aid an... ( gunpolicy.org )
Burundi, Congo (DRC), United Nations
Burundi Massacre Reminds World of the Need for a Global Gun Trade Treaty
Daily Nation (Nairobi), Opinion
17 August 2007
The events that happened exactly three years ago on that date will always haunt me. I was accustomed to starting the day with the morning radio bulletin -- which rarely bore good tidings in Burundi where I was working at the time -- but nothing prepared me for the bloody events that had occurred during the night. One hundred and fifty six refugees from the Democratic Republic of Congo, mostly women and children, including a three-month-old... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola, United States, Africa
US Embassy in Angola Hosts 'Million Weapons' Gun Destruction Day
Angola Press Agency
9 July 2007
LUANDA -- Angola's main ceremony to commemorate the International Guns Destruction Day, marked on 09 July, will be held this Monday in the premises of the United States Embassy in Luanda. The event will commemorate the destruction of a millionth weapons under the North American assistance programme, through which one million arms have already been destroyed worldwide. The symbolic ceremony will take place in six countries... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (DRC), United States, United Nations, Africa
US Funds Destruction of a Million Guns, Weapons on 4 Continents [Francais]
Le Potentiel (Kinshasa)
9 July 2007
[Translated summary: The US State Department celebrates UN-led, American-funded small arms destruction programmes which have destroyed almost a million weapons around the world]. KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo -- Pour commémorer les programmes d'aide américains qui ont permis la destruction cumulative de près d'un million d'armes à travers le monde, les Etats-Unis et six autres pays observeront la journée internationale... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola, United States
US Govt Paid to Destroy Over 600 Tonnes of Guns, Ammunition in Angola
Angola Press Agency
9 July 2007
LUANDA -- More than 327 small arms and 281 tons of unexploded ordnance were destroyed in Angola over the last 12 months, Angop learned Monday in Luanda. The information was supplied by the trade attache of the US embassy to Angola, Francisco Fernandez. The diplomat was addressing the opening of the ceremony of symbolic destruction of the millionth arm, as part of a programme of US assistance that has so far led to the scrapping... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola, United States, Africa
Angola Hails Millionth Weapon Destroyed in US-funded Gun Burn [Francais]
Angola Press
8 July 2007
[Translated summary: US Embassy in Angola celebrates the one millionth small arm destroyed under a US-funded global United Nations weapon destruction programme]. LUANDA -- Une cérémonie dédiée à la journée du 09 juillet, proclamée comme Journée de la destruction des armes légères et petit calibre se réalisera lundi, à Luanda, aux installations de l'Ambassade des Etats-Unis en Angola. L'acte vise à commémorer... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (ROC)
Illegal Guns Could Threaten Elections in Republic of Congo
IRIN (UN News)
2 April 2007
BRAZZAVILLE -- Large numbers of illegally-held small arms remain in circulation in the Republic of Congo posing a security risk to the central African country which has been plagued by conflicts in the recent past, officials said at a meeting convened to discuss the problem. "Illegally-held arms remain one of the country's main problems," said defence minister Gen. Jacques Yvon Ndolou, at the meeting organised last week by the United... ( gunpolicy.org )
Niger, Nigeria, Chad
Chad, Niger, Nigeria Address Global Scourge of Gun Trafficking
IRIN (UN News) / Reuters
7 March 2007
ABIDJAN -- Five years after the end of rebel wars in Niger, the presence of small arms in that country and over the border In Nigeria and Chad, continues to threaten the welfare of millions of people. Freeing a former conflict zone of such weapons is the aim of a pilot project under way in southeastern Niger. However, to ensure long-term success, similar initiatives with a more regional focus may be needed. The destruction of 103... ( gunpolicy.org )
East Africa, Central Africa
Continuing Concern in East, Central Africa Over Guns in the Wrong Hands
Reporter (Addis Ababa)
3 March 2007
ADDIS ABABA -- The control of international transfers of small arms and light weapons is at the centre of the global agenda for combating the proliferation of such arms. The nature of small arms and light weapons, their characteristics as well as the sheer number or global stock, and the range of actors that undertake commercial activities with them, makes it particularly difficult to control the movement of the arms not only within... ( gunpolicy.org )
East Africa, Central Africa
East African, Central African Nations Meet to Curb Global Gun Trade
Reporter (Addis Ababa)
3 March 2007
ADDIS ABABA -- Parliamentarians from member states signatory to the Nairobi Protocol, National Focal Point (NFP) coordinators, the East African community secretariat and related partners, attended the second regional parliamentary forum on "The implementation of the Nairobi protocol for the prevention, control and reduction of small arms and light weapons (SALW) in the Great Lakes region and Horn of Africa." The forum was organized... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (ROC)
Japan Funds Republic of Congo's Gun Retrieval, Disarmament Agency
IRIN (UN News)
28 February 2007
BRAZZAVILLE -- The Japanese government and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have signed an agreement whereby Tokyo will provide a US$2 million grant to help the Republic of Congo's gun retrieval agency carry out its mandate. Some of the money will also support efforts to reintegrate former militiamen into society. "PCAD [the Project for the Collection of Weapons, known by its French acronym], which lies within... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (ROC)
Congo-Brazzaville Rail Disruptions Halt Gun Retrieval Scheme
IRIN (UN News)
23 November 2006
BRAZZAVILLE -- A gun-retrieval effort launched in November 2005 in the Republic of Congo has been suspended because the agency involved has run into transport difficulties, an official of the government body said. Daniel Gassiélé said on Wednesday the state-owned railway company had been unable to buy equipment for the smooth running of its trains. Heavy rains have also been battering the country, severely disrupting rail traffic.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Chad
Chad Orders Clampdown on Illegal Guns as Ethnic Violence Flares
Reuters
14 November 2006
N'DJAMENA -- Chad imposed a crackdown on illegal firearms on Tuesday as a state of emergency took effect to curb ethnic violence that has killed hundreds of people and fuelled calls to send international peacekeepers to the region. Chad's government imposed a state of emergency from midnight on Monday across large swathes of the central African country, including eastern zones where attacks on villages by armed raiders on horseback... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (DRC), Russia
Russian Gun Runner Viktor Bout Denies Trafficking Arms to Congo
Moscow News
4 November 2006
Russian businessman Viktor Bout denied Wednesday a U.S. accusation that he was involved in weapons deliveries to the Democratic Republic of Congo, RIA Novosti reported. On Tuesday, U.S President George Bush issued an executive order blocking the assets of seven individuals, including general Laurent Nkunda and Russian businessman Viktor Bout, Reuters reported. The said individuals are being accused of impeding disarmament activities,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (DRC), United Nations
Congo Rebels Use Guns, Bullets from South Africa, US, China, Russia
Sunday Times (South Africa) / AFP
16 October 2006
LONDON -- Rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are fighting with bullets and small arms from South Africa, the USA, Greece, China, Russia and Serbia despite a UN and other embargos, a report said on Monday. The Control Arms Campaign report did not suggest that firms in these countries were violating a UN arms embargo imposed in 2003, but suggested the equipment was being diverted to the DRC from third countries. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (DRC), United States, United Nations
Global Gun Trade Chart Published in New York Times
New York Times, Opinion
5 September 2006
Despite the presence of the world's largest peacekeeping mission, the Democratic Republic of Congo remains in the grip of civil war. The reason is clear. A flood of small arms and light weapons undermines the 17,000 United Nations troops' mandate to protect civilians. In this country where war has raged since 1998, the results of the uncontrolled small arms trade have been brutish, but they have not been unique. Similar devastation... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (DRC)
30,000 Ex-Fighters in Congo (DRC) Ready to Give Up Guns, Reintegrate
IRIN (UN News)
31 August 2006
BRAZZAVILLE -- Civil-war veteran Olivier Ngouebo, 39, has had enough of war after the bitter experiences of fighting in his home region of Niari between 1998 and 1999 and again in 2002. "It is time for me to take care of myself and my children," he said recently in Dolisie, capital of Niari Department, about 370 km southwest of the Republic of Congo's capital, Brazzaville. Rather than walk the streets aimlessly or resort... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (DRC)
'Guns for Bikes' Swap Scheme More Successful than UN Congo Campaign
BBC News
14 July 2006
A scheme under which gunmen in the Democratic Republic of Congo are given bicycles in exchange for their weapons is being extended due to its success. Ngoy Mulunda, a pastor in the south-eastern Katanga region, says he has been given some 6,500 weapons in the past year, which he has destroyed. The programme is now being extended to the neighbouring South Kivu province. A BBC correspondent says it has proved more... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
At Inter-Parliamentary Union, Angola Reaffirms Fight Against Gun Trade
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
8 May 2006
LUANDA -- Member of Angolan Parliament Ventura de Azevedo on Monday in Nairobi, Kenya said that the National Assembly supports the efforts of the International Community towards the prevention and elimination of the illegal trading of light and small weapons. Mr de Azevedo was speaking during the discussion in the Peace and Security Commission of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), under the theme "The role of Parliaments in the... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya, East Africa, Central Africa
Central and East African Protocol on Small Arms Now Legally Binding
East African (Nairobi)
8 May 2006
Q: What will this centre do to curb proliferation of small arms in the region? A: As long as there are conflicts, there will always be demands for small arms. What we want is to co-ordinate the activities aimed at eradicating the proliferation of small arms. We want to sensitise institutions such as police agencies, the African Union, the United Nations and IGAD to create structures and programmes to deal with the problem of small... ( gunpolicy.org )
Kenya, Uganda, East Africa, Central Africa
Central and East African Nations Cross Milestone in War on Gun Violence
Daily Nation (Nairobi)
5 May 2006
Agreement on illegal arms crackdown in Horn of Africa and Great Lakes region set to come into force today as 12 countries join hands to promote peace and fight criminals The crackdown on illegal guns in the Great Lakes and the Horn of Africa is set to enter a critical phase today when the Nairobi protocol for the prevention, control and reduction of small arms and light weapons comes into force. The birth of the treaty... ( gunpolicy.org )
Uganda, Congo (DRC)
Uganda Blocking Small Arms, Ammunition Investigations, Says UN
Daily Monitor (Kampala)
4 April 2006
KAMPALA -- A United Nations Security Council team established to monitor an arms embargo on the DR Congo has accused Uganda of refusing to honour its repeated requests for information on its arms deals. The requests include allowing the UN team access to the national arms factory at Nakasongola. The government, has however, said it has nothing to hide and is fully cooperating. The Group of Experts which was set up in... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola, West Africa
Experts Endorse Draft Small Arms Convention for West Africa
Xinhua
14 March 2006
West Africa's economic bloc ECOWAS said Monday independent experts from Africa, Europe and the United States had endorsed a draft convention for the sub-region to check the menace of small arms and light weapons after a two-day meeting in Nigeria. The draft convention will replace the eight-year-old regional Moratorium on the Importation, Exportation and Manufacture of Small Arms and Light Weapons, which was signed by regional leaders... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
Easy Access to Guns a Concern as Angolan Election Nears
IRIN (UN News)
13 March 2006
LUANDA -- Gunfire regularly reverberates these days around Angola's capital, Luanda, something that rarely happened during almost three decades of vicious civil war. Despite four years of peace, volleys of bullets are interrupting life in the capital and alarming its residents. As the prospect of the country's first peacetime elections draws nearer -- either this year or in 2007 -- so do the fears about the number of small arms... ( gunpolicy.org )
Uganda, East Africa, Central Africa
Great Lakes Countries Meet to Plan Destruction of Firearms
Daily Monitor (Kampala)
6 February 2006
KAMPALA -- Countries in the Great Lakes Region must make a concerted effort to join civil societies in fighting the proliferation of small arms in the area, members of the Eastern Africa Action Network on Small Arms said on Friday. They said small firearms pose a major threat to public safety by encouraging crime and fuelling violence. "Small arms and light weapons like assault rifles are in hands of many wrong elements... ( gunpolicy.org )
Angola
Angolans Hand Over Guns, as Population Returns to Peace
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
3 February 2006
NAMIBE -- The residents of Bibala municipality, 160 kilometres north off Namibe city, handed over voluntarily to the administrative authorities of the locality from October 2005 to January this year, about 456 guns as part of the population disarmament process. Bibala municipality administrator, João Ernesto dos Santos, revealed the fact to ANGOP, saying that the disarmament process is taking place smoothly, because the population... ( gunpolicy.org )
United Nations, Sierra Leone, Haiti, Congo (DRC)
Arms Trade Controls Have Failed to Protect Civilians, Say Surveys
Agence France Presse
8 January 2006
NEW YORK -- Existing small arms trade controls have failed to protect innocent civilians and must be drastically tightened, according to three surveys on the human cost of arms transfers to Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Sierra Leone. The reports were issued by the Control Arms Campaign as the United Nations was set to kick off its first major review of small arms controls in five years. The Campaign,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (ROC)
World Bank Grant to Help Disarm 30,000 Congolese Ex-Fighters
IRIN (UN News)
4 January 2006
BRAZZAVILLE -- The World Bank and the Republic of Congo (ROC) have signed an agreement for a US $17-million grant to disarm, demobilise and reintegrate 30,000 former combatants in the country. The agreement, signed on Tuesday in the Congolese capital, Brazzaville, falls $8 million short of the $25 million request the ROC made to the bank in February 2005, under the framework of the Multi-country Programme for Demobilisation and... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Burundi
Central African MPs Discuss Regional Illicit Small Arms Legislation
New Times (Kigali)
13 November 2005
Members of Parliament from Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo met November 2-4 in the DRC and discussed the establishment of laws to curb the illegal trafficking and use of small arms in the region. Presenting a report to the Lower Chamber of Parliament, the head of the Rwandan delegation that attended the meeting Deputy Sam Kanyemera Kaka, enumerated the reasons that had led to a delay in drafting the law. ... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (DRC), United Nations, Uganda
UN Mission Warns of Sanctions If Guns Not Surrendered, Destroyed
IRIN (UN News)
9 November 2005
ENTEBBE, Uganda -- A UN Security Council mission arrived in Uganda on Wednesday and told reporters that the UN would increase pressure on illegal armed groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). "Sanctions will be imposed against armed groups that refuse to disarm," said the head of the mission, Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, who is also the French ambassador to the UN. The mission began a 10-day tour of the Great Lakes... ( gunpolicy.org )
Africa, Angola, Botswana, Congo (DRC), Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Tighter Gun Control on Southern African Borders
Independent (South Africa)
30 September 2005
Twenty-six police members of Southern African Development Community member countries have completed special training in the cross-border control of illegal firearms and ammunition. The group received their certificates of competence on Friday after completing a month-long course, the SA Police Service said in a statement. The training was aimed at equipping police members to take part in exercises to combat and eradicate... ( gunpolicy.org )
Rwanda, Uganda, Congo (DRC)
Rwanda, Uganda Refute UN Report on Arms to DRC
IRIN (UN News)
28 July 2005
KAMPALA-KIGALI -- Uganda and Rwanda have denied statements contained in a report issued on Wednesday by the UN Security Council that the two countries had delayed to give information to officials monitoring arms sanctions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). "We have not delayed anything," Uganda's foreign minister, Sam Kuteesa told IRIN on Thursday. "What we have done is to give them information whenever they ask for it."... ( gunpolicy.org )
Central African Republic
Disarmament, Reintegration Extends to the Northwest
IRIN (UN News)
8 July 2005
BANGUI -- Ex-combatants began voluntarily handing over their weapons to UN and government officials on Friday in the Central African Republic's northwestern district of Nana-Grébizi. The measure is part of a nationwide effort begun on 18 June to disarm and reintegrate thousands of ex-combatant into civilian life. "If there's a gap between the disarmament and the start of reintegration, the ex-combatants will loose confidence... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (DRC)
Global Arms Dealers Still Fuel Congo Unrest, Says Report
Reuters
5 July 2005
KINSHASA -- Weapons and ammunition shipped by a web of international arms traffickers are fuelling killings and torture by militia groups in eastern Congo, Amnesty International said on Tuesday. Amnesty said brokers and transporters from countries including the United States, Britain, Israel and Russia were involved in supplying arms to governments around Africa's Great Lakes region, who were then passing them on to the militias.... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (DRC)
Congo's Battle With Disarmament
BBC News
9 June 2005
The population of Bunia, the main town in Ituri district in the north-east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, has been through hell. Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in recent years, but at least some of the guns are now being put down. United Nations peacekeepers from countries as diverse as Bangladesh and Morocco patrol this busy trading centre close to the Ugandan border and there is also a small presence... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (DRC)
Congo Looting Keeps East Awash in Guns
Reuters
3 March 2005
BUNIA, Congo -- "I will die in Congo," the Nigerian businessman declared. "I make so much money, I can never leave!" he explained. His Ukrainian colleague grinned in agreement. It was 2003, and the young African trader was explaining to visitors why he had braved east Congo's violence to develop a local trading firm with European and Congolese partners. Two years on, and Congolese here say there has been no let... ( gunpolicy.org )
Congo (DRC)
Congo Buy-back Swaps 500 Guns for Bikes
Agence France Presse
18 February 2005
KINSHASA -- More than 500 firearms were officially handed over on Thursday as part of a modern swords-into-plowshares programme in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In an attempt to stem endemic violence in the remote Katanga region, the guns were traded for bicycles during a week last month by a non-government organisation called Parec. The reverend Ngoy Mulunda, president of the organisation, says he intends to stage... ( gunpolicy.org )
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