Gun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
Angola
Police Seize Over 4,000 Weapons in Angola
30 April 2013
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
CAXITO — At least 4,483 fire-arms, among which 3,333 AKM, were collected in the northen Bengo province in the last six years, as part of the disarmament process of citizens illegally owning weapons.
According to a weekly assessment from the National Police in Bengo sent to Angop on Monday, the collection includes 23,472 ammunitions, 1,390 magazines, 340 explosive devices and 26 grenades.
The statement informs that during last week the police recorded a compulsory... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
37391
Cameroon
45 Weapons Seized in Anti-Poaching Operation in Cameroon [Français]
29 April 2013
Cameroon Tribune / Camer (Belgium)
[Translated summary: 20 poachers were arrested and 45 firearms seized after an operation in south east Cameroon, while two people were injured. Officials are concerned about the effects of poaching on wildlife and the proliferation of weapons.]
20 braconniers arrêtés et 45 armes à feu saisies à l'EstC'est le bilan de l'opération conduite le ministère des Forêts et de la Faune du 15 au 26 avril.
Le bilan de l'opération coup de poing organisée par le Ministère... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Cameroon Tribune / Camer (Belgium)
37389
European Union,Congo (ROC)
Over 2.6 Million Ammo Rounds Destroyed in Republic of Congo
25 April 2013
Global Times (China)
More than 2.6 million rounds of unexploded ammunition have been neutralized by a non-governmental organization in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of Congo, to avoid a repetition of the deadly blast in the city last year.
The action was taken in Brazzaville's Mpila district, where an explosion occurred at an arms depot on March 4, 2012, the European Union (EU) said in a statement released here on Wednesday.
"The evaluation of the clearing and clean-up... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Global Times (China)
37371
Poland,Ukraine,Israel,Côte d'Ivoire,Bulgaria,Belarus,China,Angola,Russia
Guns Easily Available in Côte D'Ivoire Despite Embargo
16 April 2013
IRIN (UN News)
ABIDJAN - Côte d'Ivoire's recent turbulence - including the ouster of president Henri Konan Bédié in 1999, a long-running insurgency and deadly poll unrest in 2011 - has left the country awash in arms, which have contributed to human rights abuses, widespread crime and persistent insecurity.
Two years after coming to power in 2000, Laurent Gbagbo's administration faced an army mutiny, which morphed into a full-scale rebellion. In response, the government underwent a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
37347
Egypt,Liberia,Mali,Palestine,Chad,Somalia,Tunisia,Algeria,Niger
Egypt Major Recipient of Illicit Libyan Weapons: UN Report
10 April 2013
Daily News (Egypt)
The United Nations published a report on Tuesday which concludes that weapons used during the Libyan civil war against Muammar Gaddafi are being funnelled at an alarming rate to other countries in the region.
The report said these weapons have been found to be used in the recent war in Mali, the West Bank in Palestine and the ongoing Syrian civil war, with Egypt and the Sahel region receiving the most significant amounts. The report said these weapons are fuelling... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily News (Egypt)
37305
Central Africa,East Africa,Ghana
Over 2,500 Firerms Destroyed Since 2001 in Ghana
26 March 2013
Spy Ghana (Ghana)
Ghana has played a major role in stopping the illicit trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and has destroyed over 2,500 weapons since 2001, according to the Member of Parliament for Nadowli-Kaleo Constituency, Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin.
Addressing Parliamentarians from 12 countries in Africa on the strides Ghana has made in dealing with the illegal trade in guns, Hon. Bagbin stated that Ghana is an active member of the global efforts to control illicit... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Spy Ghana (Ghana)
37238
Congo (DRC),Zimbabwe,Mozambique,Angola,Zambia,Africa
Zambia Calling for a 'Bullet-Proof' Arms Trade Treaty
18 March 2013
Times of Zambia
TODAY (March 18, 2013) will be a crunch day of epic proportions when the United Nations Organisation (UN) convenes at its New York Headquarters to start negotiations to conclude an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) that has the potential to forever regulate the hitherto unregulated trade in conventional weapons.
The global trade in conventional weapons - from warships and battle tanks to fighter jets and machine guns - remains poorly regulated. No internationally agreed... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times of Zambia
37197
Angola
More Than 100 Firearms Seized in Kuando Kubango, Angola [Francais]
4 March 2013
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
[Translated summary: 104 firearms and 750 ammunition seized in 2012 in the framework of the Disarmament Programme in the province of Kuando Kubango, Angola.]
MENONGUE (Angola) - 104 armes à feu et 750 munitions diverses ont été récupérées en 2012 dans la province de Kuando Kubango (extrême-sud-est) dans le cadre du programme de désarmement de la population.
Le bilan annuel rendu public jeudi à l'occasion des 37 ans de la police angolaise indique que... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
37132
China,Africa,Côte d'Ivoire,Somalia,Angola,South Africa,Sudan,Zimbabwe,Kenya
Unknown Quantities of Chinese Arms in Africa a Concern
21 February 2013
Star (Kenya), Opinion
Much is being written and said in the media and academic circles about China's increasing engagement with Africa on many economic and other fronts.
Some see this as benefiting Africa; others as detrimental to the real needs of African countries and peoples. Some critics have used phrases like "the second scramble for Africa" and "re-colonization of Africa" to describe the new development. The debate goes on.
Yet, there is one subject that has not received the serious... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Star (Kenya)
37098
Angola
Angola Authorities Support Crackdown on Illegal Gun Possession
30 January 2013
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
Luanda — The Attorney-General, João Maria de Sousa, has defended the application of severe punitive measures on individuals found in possession of illegal firearms.
João Maria de Sousa has defended this stance at the session that discussed, in specialty, the State Budget Draft for 2013, with the coordination of the 1st and 10th Commissions of the National Assembly.
The magistrate said that this measure is justified by the fact that the country has recorded a high... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
37007
Czech Republic,Hungary,Côte d'Ivoire,Iran,Guinea,Niger,Russia,South Sudan,China,Uganda,Afghanistan,Nigeria,Kenya,Iraq,Congo (DRC)
Trail of Bullet Casings Leads From Africa's Wars Back to Iran
11 January 2013
New York Times
The first clues appeared in Kenya, Uganda and what is now South Sudan. A British arms researcher surveying ammunition used by government forces and civilian militias in 2006 found Kalashnikov rifle cartridges he had not seen before. The ammunition bore no factory code, suggesting that its manufacturer hoped to avoid detection.
Within two years other researchers were finding identical cartridges circulating through the ethnic violence in Darfur. Similar ammunition then... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
36931
Angola
Angola Police Seize Over 4,000 Weapons in Disarmament Process
14 December 2012
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
CAXITO — At least 4.351 weapons were seized in the northern Bengo province by the Police, under the disarming process of the population illegally owning firearms, which started in April, 2008, Angop has learnt.
A press note from the corporation says that the Police also seized 22.362 ammunitions, 1.342 magazines, 202 explosive devices and 26 projectiles.
Meanwhile the police destroyed 1.450 weapons, 776 magazines, 3.000 ammunitions and 888 explosive devices.
Under... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
36834
Congo (DRC),United States,Burkina Faso,Tanzania
US Entrepreneurs Turning Thousands of African AK-47s into Jewellery
26 November 2012
New York Times
NEW YORK — As icons go, few things communicate global menace more effectively than the stark silhouette of an AK-47. Designed more than six decades ago by Mikhail Kalashnikov, a former Soviet tank commander, the assault rifle boasts the dubious distinction of being the most abundant and reliable killing device in history.
"In much of the world they are everyman's gun," the New York Times foreign correspondent C.J. Chivers wrote in "The Gun," his 2010 social history... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
36773
Somalia,Congo (DRC),Kenya,South Sudan,Sudan,Uganda,East Africa
East Africa States to Work Together to Reduce Gun Trafficking
16 October 2012
New Vision (Kampala)
Directors of Criminal Intelligence and Investigations Directorates (CIID) in the East African region on Monday resolved to support Somalia to neutralise gun trafficking across the region.
The directors said arms traffickers were taking advantage of Somalia's instability and location next to the sea.
The Inspector General of Police, Lt. Gen. Kale Kayihura, said Somalia, which is now a reconstructed state, is ready to halt and thrash all culprits in gun trafficking... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Vision (Kampala)
36646
Angola
Fears Over Surplus Gun Levels in Angola, Despite Disarmament
9 October 2012
United Press International
LUANDA, Angola - Angola's massive arms stocks acquired during its war for independence worry arms proliferation specialists.
"Re-export is a problem generally. It can occur decades after the original deliveries," Small Arms Survey researcher Glenn McDonald said from Geneva.
"Angola is on the radar at the moment, as it has significant surplus stocks (of weapons)."
In the past five months Angolan authorities have collected more than 80,000 small weapons under a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Press International
36659
Angola
Experts Worried about Re-Export of Weapons from Angola
9 October 2012
United Press International
LUANDA, Angola - Angola's massive arms stocks acquired during its war for independence worry arms proliferation specialists.
"Re-export is a problem generally. It can occur decades after the original deliveries,: Small Arms Survey researcher Glenn McDonald said from Geneva.
"Angola is on the radar at the moment, as it has significant surplus stocks (of weapons)."
In the past five months Angolan authorities have collected more than 80,000 small weapons under a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Press International
36627
Angola,Africa,West Africa,Venezuela,Iran,Egypt,Algeria,South Sudan,Liberia,Germany,France,China,United Kingdom,Russia,United States,South Africa
For Africa, Ammunition Control Deserves Global Gun Trade Treaty Focus
9 July 2012
IRIN (UN News)
JOHANNESBURG — For a couple of hundred dollars or less an arms dealer can illegally source a blank end user certificate with the required signatures and stamps - needed to transfer weapons across international borders - and "if no one checks its authenticity (often the case) he can ship his wares to the world's hotspots with minimal risk, for maximum profit," a report by the Small Arms Survey (SAS) said in 2008.
Since then "not much has changed" Glenn McDonald, based... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
36317
Somalia,Congo (DRC),Caribbean,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Liberia,Australia
Arms Trade Treaty Must Include All Guns and Ammo, Says Australia
2 July 2012
Sydney Morning Herald, Opinion
Ten years ago, tens of thousands of Kalashnikov assault rifles were transported into the West African country of Liberia. It was a violation of the UN arms embargo. The weapons were used by forces loyal to Charles Taylor to commit the most terrible crimes.
Boys, some as young as 11, were handed these weapons and told to kill. In the farms and villages of places such as Bong County on the border with Guinea, these Kalashnikovs became weapons of massive destruction. The... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sydney Morning Herald
36293
Colombia,Chad,Sudan,Congo (DRC),Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,European Union,Pakistan,India,China,Africa,Russia,Syria
NGOs Set Minimum Specifications for Arms Trade Treaty [Francais]
27 June 2012
Le Monde (France), Opinion
[Translated summary: Associations, NGOs and hundreds of members of the global coalition "Control Arms" have set minimum specifications for the future Arms Trade Treaty. It will have to control all types of conventional arms and ammunition used by military as well as by law enforcement, since they can be used for serious human rights violations. ATT will include exports but also imports, transit and all types of transfers and all actors, such as arms brokers, like Viktor... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Monde (France)
36280
Angola
Angolan Citizens Charged for Illegal Possession of Firearms [Francais]
21 June 2012
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
[Translated summary: Five Angolan citizens accused of illegal possession of firearms were condemned to a suspended sentence and a fine.]
LUBANGO - Cinq citoyens angolais accusés de détention illégale d'armes à feu et d'engins explosifs, ont été condamnés par le tribunal provincial de Huila, à Lubango, a appris l'Angop jeudi, de source policière.
Le porte-parole de la police locale, le surintendant en chef Paiva Tomás, a livré cette information, précisant... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
36271
Angola
Angola Police Recover More Than 100 Firearms in Luanda [Francais]
18 June 2012
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
[Translated summary: Angola National Police recovered 109 firearms of various calibres in Luanda. This action took place in the framework of the disarmament programme of the civilian population.]
LUANDA - la Police Nationale à Luanda a recueilli 109 armes à feu de divers calibres, au mois de mai dernier, dans le cadre du programme de désarment de la population civile, qui se trouve dans sa phase cohercitive.
L'information est contenue dans le rapport mensuel de la... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
36261
Libya,Congo (DRC),Chad,Central African Republic,Sudan
Sudan's Small Arms and Light Weapons Conference: a Right Step
29 May 2012
Sudan Vision Daily
Last week Khartoum hosted the Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) conference for Sudan and its western neighbouring states including Central African Republic, the Republic of Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Libya.
The conference aimed at strengthening cooperation and coordination efforts in order to control the spread, flow, misuse and illegal circulation of small arms and light weapons within and across the borders, and on the fundamental... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Vision Daily
36187
Congo (DRC),Central African Republic,Niger,Côte d'Ivoire,Mali,Congo (ROC)
Towards the Support of Congo in the Fight against Small Arms [Francais]
25 May 2012
Afriquinfos / Xinhua
[Translated summary: The representative of the Regional Center on Small Arms (RCSA), Marie Claire Bisamaza, reiterated the will of the organisation to support the Republic of Congo in implementing a National Plan of Action aiming at protecting the territory against proliferation of small arms and light weapons.]
BRAZZAVILLE - La représentante du Regional Center on Small Arms (RCSA), Marie Claire Bisamaza, a traduit jeudi à Brazzaville, la volonté de son institution... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Afriquinfos / Xinhua
36172
Egypt,Africa,Congo (DRC),Central African Republic,Sudan,Chad,Libya
African States Vow to Curb Arms Flow with Global Gun Trade Treaty
24 May 2012
New Vision (Kampala) / AFP
Security officials from five African states have pledged to step up cooperation to control the flow of small arms after a UN-backed conference.
Ministers of interior and security from Libya, Chad, Sudan and Central African Republic, as well as a provincial governor from Democratic Republic of Congo, agreed to establish a joint body to counter the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
A declaration issued late Wednesday after their two-day conference said the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Vision (Kampala) / AFP
36170
Congo (DRC),Libya,Sudan,Central African Republic,Chad
Sudan, UN Coordinate to Combat Spread of Small Arms in the Region
22 May 2012
Sudan Vision Daily
KHARTOUM – The United Nations announced that it is coordinating with the Sudanese Government and the Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (DDRC) to combat use of small and light arms in the Sudan, to strengthen institutions at the national level to curb armed violence and reduce demand on arms.
Use of arms disrupts development and spreads chaos, UN resident Coordinator, Ali Al-Zaetri, said, adding that the economic loss caused by the use of these... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Vision Daily
36157
Angola
Firearms Seizure in the Province of Bengo, Angola [Francais]
21 May 2012
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
[Translated summary: The National Police of Bengo, Angola, seized eight firearms that were held illegally by civilians.]
CAXITO, Angola - Le commandement provincial de la Police Nationale de Bengo, au nord de Luanda, a saisi huit armes, la semaine dernière, a appris l'Angop lundi de source policière.
Selon la source, ces armes étaient détenues illégalement par des citoyens.
Un communiqué parvenu lundi à l'Angop souligne que parmi les armes récupérées de... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
36152
Russia,China,United States,United Kingdom,Congo (DRC),Myanmar,Iran
UK Minister Calls for International Support on Arms Trade Treaty
17 May 2012
Guardian (UK)
The international arms trade has become the greatest threat to development and has to be controlled by a tough treaty to regulate weapons and munitions sales, a government minister warns.
In a speech to the Institute for Strategic Studies thinktank, Alan Duncan, the minister for international development, will urge allies such as the US to set aside their concerns and sign up to the comprehensive arms trade treaty (ATT), which will be hammered out during a month-long... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
36143
Angola
Amnesty Recovers More Than 100 Unlawfully Held Guns in Angola
22 April 2012
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
CAXITO — At least 119 firearms of assorted calibres unlawfully in the hands of civilians in northern Bengo province were freely surrendered to the National Police from January 1 to April 22 this year, Angop learned.
The information was released by the Provincial Command of the National Police director for Public Order, Marcos Domingos.
According to the officer, 4,294 firearms have so far been surrendered in Bengo province since the nationwide operation started in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
36061
Angola
Disarmament of Guns in Civilians' Possession Intensified in Angola
16 April 2012
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
LUANDA — The National Commission for Disarmament of Civilians will intensify its actions of coercive disarmament of citizens in possession of weapons throughout the country.
It was announced on Monday, by the spokesman of the committee, chief commissioner Paulo Gaspar de Almeida, at the end of a meeting held in Luanda, with the provincial and ministerial coordinators.
According to Paulo Gaspar de Almeida, actions will be implemented in all provinces, especially in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
36049
Ethiopia,South Africa,Burkina Faso,Sierra Leone,West Africa,Ukraine,Côte d'Ivoire,Eastern Europe,Russia,Central African Republic,Iraq,Afghanistan,United States,Colombia,Angola,Liberia,North Africa,West Asia,Africa
Shadowy 'Merchants of Death' Behind Africa's Illegal Gun-Running
11 April 2012
Think Africa Press (London)
Arms dealer Viktor Bout was sentenced to 25 years by a US federal court last week.
Widely known as the 'merchant of death', the 45-year-old Russian has delivered weapons and arms to a wide range of presidents, insurgents and rebels in Africa and the Middle East including the likes of Charles Taylor in Liberia and Jonas Savimbi in Angola. He was caught in a US sting in which his services were solicited for the supply of weapons to Colombia's FARC rebels.
His companies... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Think Africa Press (London)
36019
Congo (DRC)
Amnesty Re-launched in North Kivu, Congo DRC [Francais]
14 March 2012
Radio Okapi (Kinshasa)
[Translated summary: The Governor of North Kivu, Julien Paluku, re-launches the operation "North Kivu Unarmed", calling anyone who illegaly possess a firearm to surrender it. A buyback launched in 2009 in Kinshasa and in the eastern provinces had allowed to collect 12,000 firearms.]
Le gouverneur du Nord-Kivu, Julien Paluku a remis une centaine d'armes individuelles et de guerre, mardi 13 mars, au commandant de la 8ème région militaire. Cette remise coïncide avec la... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Radio Okapi (Kinshasa)
35908
Angola
A Recent Amnesty in Angola Allows to Collect 90,000 Firearms [Espanol]
13 March 2012
Prensa Latina (Havana)
[Translated summary: A recent Amnesty in Angola allowed to collect at least 90,000 firearms. The Commander General of Police, Ambrosio de Lemos, said that although the voluntary surrender phase is over, the owners can still bring firearms to the competent authorities.]
Al menos 90 mil armas de fuego fueron recogidas en Angola en los últimos tiempos, como resultado de una labor persuasiva con la población para la entrega de esos artefactos, informaron hoy aquí... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Prensa Latina (Havana)
35909
Philippines,Trinidad & Tobago,Zimbabwe,Zambia,Uganda,Tanzania,Senegal,Congo (DRC),Pakistan,Nigeria,Niger,Namibia,Morocco,Mauritania,Malawi,Madagascar,Côte d'Ivoire,Burkina Faso,Botswana,Egypt,Angola,Algeria,South Africa,Ghana,China,United States,Austria,Russia,Israel,Bahrain,Asia,Africa,Brazil
Brazil Arms Exports: Country Preaches Peace, Sells Tons of Arms
28 February 2012
Huffington Post (USA)
A small, scratched metal can thrown on the ground created Brazil's first diplomatic embarrassment of 2012. The canister of tear gas had been collected by pro-democracy activists in Bahrain. Stamped across the can in blue was a Brazilian flag and the words 'MADE IN BRAZIL.'
One year had passed since Bahrain became the stage for pro-democracy protests by the majority Shiites against the Sunni monarchy commanded by king Hamad bin-Isa Khalifa. The protesters had been... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Huffington Post (USA)
35870
Kenya,Sudan,Congo (DRC),Uganda
Uganda Government is Drafting a Bill to Tighten, Control, Limit Firearm Use
25 February 2012
Monitor (Kampala)
The government is drafting a bill to tighten, control and limit the use of firearms by security agencies and civilians across the country. The Firearms, Ammunition and Related Materials Bill seeks to harmonise all existing laws governing possession of guns, including the Firearms Act, 1970.
The 1970 Act only regulates ownership of firearms held by individuals, while those held by the police and security agencies are governed under separate laws. It is not known how... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Monitor (Kampala)
35862
Germany,Chad,Yemen,Egypt,Libya,France,United Kingdom,United States,Sudan,Belarus,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Syria,Russia
Towards an International Control of Arms Trade, NGOs Concerned [Francais]
19 February 2012
Le Monde (France)
[Translated summary: As negotiations were launched this week in New York on the Arms Trade Treaty, Amnesty International, CCFD-Terre Solidaire and Oxfam France are concerned about the risk of a "Treaty at a discount ".]
La vente d'armes à un régime qui réprime sa population, comme le fait aujourd'hui la Russie à l'Etat syrien, sera-t-elle bientôt illégale ? C'est l'enjeu des négociations qui devraient aboutir, en juillet, à New York, à la signature d'un... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Monde (France)
35854
Italy,Philippines,United States,Russia,Germany,Czech Republic,China,Botswana,Oceania,Americas,Africa,Asia,Europe,Central Africa,Caribbean,South America,Central America,Zimbabwe,Namibia,Mozambique,Congo (DRC),Angola,Swaziland,South Africa,Southern Africa
High Gun Death Risk for Young African Men, Women at Home - UN Study
19 February 2012
Southern Times (Southern Africa)
WINDHOEK - Young men in Southern Africa are at the greatest risk of cold-blooded murder, while women in the region are more likely than others from around the world to be killed in domestic violence, a UN agency says.
The statistics from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) come as the region battles to contain the proliferation of gun-related crimes.
Experts have said gun-related crime is a major problem in South Africa and Swaziland, and is on the rise in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Southern Times (Southern Africa)
35844
Madagascar,Guinea,Ghana,Botswana,Angola,Algeria,South Africa,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Russia,Austria,Israel,Germany,Italy,United States,Yemen,Philippines,Pakistan,Sri Lanka,Tunisia,Brazil,Burkina Faso,Egypt,Côte d'Ivoire,Malawi,Mauritania,Morocco,Namibia,Niger,Nigeria,Congo (ROC),Senegal,Tanzania,Uganda,Zambia,Zimbabwe,Argentina,Ecuador
Brazilian Gun Industry Seeks New Markets: Africa and Asia [Portugues]
27 January 2012
Publica (Brazil)
[Translated summary: With the support of the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, Brazilian gun manufacturers seek new markets in countries with a history of human rights violations: Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Philippines and Yemen. Brazil is among the six countries in the world with annual exports exceeding $ 100 million, according to recent research from Small Arms Survey. According to the Army, responsible for supervising and controlling exports from 2005 to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Publica (Brazil)
35794
Greece,Colombia,Sri Lanka,Syria,Chad,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
The Arms Trade Treaty and Human Rights - Amnesty's Report [Francais]
25 January 2012
Amnesty International
[Translated summary: While international negotiations on the adoption of an International Arms Trade Treaty are at a crucial time, Amnesty International published a report illustrating through the situation in 5 countries (Chad, Syria, Sri Lanka, Colombia, and Greece) the necessity of such an instrument to prevent deadly and irresponsible arms transfers.]
A l'heure où les négociations internationales en vue de l'adoption d'un traité international sur le commerce des... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Amnesty International
35769
Thailand,Colombia,Russia,United States,Uganda,Rwanda,South Africa,United Arab Emirates,Belgium,Sudan,Somalia,Côte d'Ivoire,Liberia,Angola,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Congo (DRC)
Stopping the Trade in Death, Gun Trafficking, Smuggling - Opinion
6 December 2011
New York Times, Opinion
On a dark November morning in 2004, I woke up in my bungalow overlooking Lake Kivu, tense with anticipation. Our small United Nations team was about to undertake a surprise inspection of three airfields in eastern Congo, notorious for smuggling operations.
With the backing of U.N. peacekeeping forces and a U.N. Security Council mandate, we searched almost every incoming and outgoing aircraft that day. By evening, we had the evidence to link several aviation front... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
35632
Burundi,Uganda,Rwanda,Congo (DRC),Africa
Africa: Six Years On - The UN's International Small Arms Tracing Instrument
5 December 2011
Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria), Report
The ability to trace small arms and light weapons (SALW) is an important step toward transparency and preventing the illicit use of firearms in conflict and crime. December 8th 2011 marks the 6th year since the adoption of the International Tracing Instrument (ITI) by the United Nations General Assembly.
In adopting the ITI, although not legally binding, the UN Member States acknowledged that the instrument would enable them to identify and trace, in a timely and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
35627
Congo (DRC),Africa,Kenya,United States
High-price US Fashion Jewellery Made from AK-47s Funds Gun Destruction
30 November 2011
New York Times
When Cara Buono arrived at the Emmy Awards in September, nominated as best guest actress in a drama series for her role as Dr. Faye Miller in "Mad Men," she wore a $150,000 political statement in her lobes. "These earrings," she said, "are made from AK-47 gun metal."
Ms. Buono's husband, Peter Thum, is a founder, with John Zapolski, of Fonderie 47, an organization that converts what is perhaps the most widely distributed assault rifle into jewelry.
On a visit to Kenya... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
35610
North Africa,China,Ukraine,Chad,Mali,Niger,France,Europe,United States,Libya
Hundreds of Thousands of Libyan Assault Rifles Looking for New Owners?
15 November 2011
Time (USA)
More than three weeks after Libya's rebels killed Muammar Gaddafi, arms experts say the task of finding and securing the mountain of weaponry abandoned by Gaddafi's forces in their final rout has been complicated by a lack of international funding and coordination, as well as conflicting priorities among Western and African governments about which weapons pose the biggest threat.
While U.S. and European officials have sounded the alarm about the threat posted to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Time (USA)
35547
Cameroon
Growing Spread of Homemade Firearms in Cameroon, Debate Revived
3 November 2011
Radio Netherlands
Last July, 21-year-old Giulien Tchouangang accidentally shot and killed his little brother, Sidou Dzongang, who was only 13. The two brothers were playing with a firearm they found in their living room, unaware that it was loaded.
"The firearm Giulien Tchouangang used is a homemade 5.5mm calibre rifle which was modified into a 12 mm calibre that is used for hunting," says Sergeant Wassaing Albert, who heads the Bangou gendarmerie unit in Western Province of Cameroon,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Radio Netherlands
35506
Mexico,Congo (DRC),Sudan,Central African Republic,Sri Lanka,Colombia,Jamaica,Iraq,El Salvador,Central Africa,Caribbean,Central America,South America
Study Finds Again That Crime, Not War is Main Source of Gun Violence
29 October 2011
Associated Press
GENEVA — More people are killed by armed violence resulting from crime than are killed in war, with Latin America and a swath of countries through the middle of Africa among the hardest hit, an international study claimed Thursday.
About 526,000 people die violently every year — or more than 1,400 people every day — according to the 2011 Global Burden of Armed Violence report.
Only about 55,000 of those killed die in warfare, while an estimated 396,000 people... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
35488
Sao Tome & Principe,Rwanda,Gabon,Equatorial Guinea,Congo (ROC),Congo (DRC),Chad,Central African Republic,Cameroon,Burundi,Angola,Central Africa,Austria
Regional Efforts to Combat Illicit Arms in Central Africa: Kinshasa Convention - UN
21 October 2011
African Press Organization (APO), Media release
NEW YORK -- The United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs and the Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations will organize tomorrow a special event entitled "Enhancing Small Arms Control In Central Africa — The Kinshasa Convention" at the Permanent Mission of Austria. This event will promote this new sub-regional instrument to control and fight the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Central Africa.
In September 2011, all eleven... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: African Press Organization (APO)
35443
Sudan,Congo (DRC),Djibouti,Central Africa,East Africa,Rwanda
Rwanda to Lead Campaign Against Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons
20 October 2011
New Times (Rwanda)
Rwanda was, on Tuesday, elected to spearhead a regional campaign against illicit small arms and light weapons.
The country was picked by delegates attending a ministerial council meeting of the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA), a grouping of 15 eastern and central African countries, dedicated to eradicating the proliferation of illegal arms across their borders.
The meeting was held in the Horn of African nation of Djibouti.
Rwanda was elected on the basis of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Times (Rwanda)
35440
Angola
Over 2,000 Firearms Seized by Angola National Police since June 2011
18 October 2011
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
KUITO — A total of 2,146 firearms of various calibre were seized by the National Police in central Bie province since the process of disarming of civilians in possession of weapons started in June this year in the country.
The information was provided Monday in the province's capital city, Kuito, by the spokesperson for the Technical Commission for Disarming, António Jorge, while presenting an assessment of the operation.
The officer stressed that in the period in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
35432
Southern Africa,Central Africa,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Africa,South America,Central America,Caribbean
Men Most Affected by Homicide, 40-60% Involve Guns, Says UN [Francais]
5 October 2011
Le Parisien (France) / AFP
[Translated summary: According to a new report on homicide from UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), most of the 468,000 homicides in 2010 took place in Africa and in Latin America. Firearms were involved in 42%. In Central America and the Caribbean, firearms were involved in three quarters of the homicides.]
La plupart des 468.000 homicides commis dans le monde en 2010 ont eu lieu en Afrique et en Amérique latine et concernent surtout des hommes, a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Parisien (France) / AFP
35377
Tanzania,Sudan,Somalia,Seychelles,Kenya,Eritrea,Ethiopia,Djibouti,East Africa,Congo (DRC),Rwanda,Burundi
RECSA Calls for Increased Efforts to Reduce Small Arms in East Africa
16 September 2011
New Times (Rwanda)
The Executive Secretary of the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA), Dr. Francis K. Sang, has called upon all countries within the region to come up with more mechanisms and strategies to fight against the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons.
RECSA is an intergovernmental body based in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together 13 countries from the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa region.
All member states that subscribe to the centre, including Rwanda, are... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Times (Rwanda)
35284
Angola
Since 2008, 4,029 Firearms Collected in Bengo, Angola [Francais]
23 August 2011
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
[Translated summary: The National Police collected twelve firearms in the framework of Angola Disarmament Campaign. Since 2008, 4,029 firearms have been collected.]
CAXITO, Angola - Le commandement provincial de la Police nationale a recueilli douze armes à feu, la fin de la semaine dernière, dans la province de Bengo, au nord de Luanda, dans le cadre de la campagne de désarmément en cours dans le pays.
Un communiqué parvenu mardi, à l'Angop, souligne que le... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
35239
Cameroon
Trafficking of Guns in Cameroon Prisons a Common Practice [Francais]
9 August 2011
Le Nouvel Observateur (France), Blog
[Translated summary: Trafficking of bladed weapons and firearms is a common thing in Cameroonian prisons. Sometimes carried out with the help of guards. All means are good, even with the help of a priest hiding a handgun in a bible.]
Des armes blanches et des armes à feu circulent dans les prisons camerounaises, notamment à la prison de New Bell à Douala. Parfois avec la complicité des gardiens. Les détenus s'en servent pour organiser évasions ou vols. Condamné... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Nouvel Observateur (France)
35180
Gabon,United States
Major US Justice Dept Gun Running Bribery Sting Rebounds, Fails in Court
8 July 2011
MainJustice.com
The Justice Department's decision to use an undercover sting to encourage executives in the defense products industry to offer bribes may have backfired this week, as jurors couldn't reach a verdict in a case the Justice Department had called the "turning point" for its fight against foreign bribery.
After more than 16 months of pre-trial hearings, 6 weeks of trial and 7 days of deliberation the case came to unsatisfying and unfinished end Thursday.
U.S. Federal... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: MainJustice.com
35062
Congo (DRC)
Proliferation of Small Arms in East of Congo DRC - Study [Francais]
5 July 2011
Digital Congo (Congo DRC) / La Prospérité
[Translated summary: More than 300,000 firearms are held by civilians in the East region of Congo DRC. The two most common firearms are assault rifles and non-automatic rifles. These numbers can be found in a new study published by the UNDP/DRC.]
Plus de 300 000 armes à feu sont détenues par des civils dans l'Est de la RDC. Les deux armes les plus fréquemment détenus par les ménages sont le fusil d'assaut et le fusil non automatique.
« Armes légères dans la... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Digital Congo (Congo DRC) / La Prospérité
35023
Angola,Congo (DRC)
Govt Denies Deadly Gunfight Targeted Congo DRC Army Weapons Depot
29 June 2011
BBC News
A deadly gun battle has erupted in the Democratic Republic of Congo mining capital of Lubumbashi.
President Joseph Kabila is in the town to preside over Thursday's Independence Day ceremonies.
Reports indicate that a military depot was the focus of the assault, but officials deny this.
Police opened fire on the attackers. Two gunmen and three civilians were killed in the gun battle, which lasted just under an hour.
The gunfire began on Wednesday between 0300-0400... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
34997
Angola
Angola's 'Coercive' Disarmament Drive Destroys 9,450 Weapons [Francais]
28 June 2011
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
[Translated summary: In the coercive phase of the disarmament of the civilian population, 13 citizens were judged and sentenced to a prison term of three to 12 months for unlawful possession of firearms. During the last eight months, 9,450 weapons and 42,245 ammunition were destroyed.]
HUAMBO, Angola – Treize citoyens d'ãges compris entre 17 et 42 ans ont été jugés et condamnés, ces derniers huit mois, par le tribunal provincial de Huambo, de trois à 12 mois... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
34991
Palestine,Libya,Chad,Sudan,Egypt
Smuggled, Stolen and Homemade, Guns Flood Egypt's Streets
27 June 2011
Al Masry Al Youm (Egypt)
A new conversation has been taking place around Egypt for the past five months, one that rarely came up before. How do you acquire a firearm?
With rising crime rates and an ongoing security vacuum since 28 January, the smuggling, manufacturing, and purchasing of weapons is on the rise.The insecurity has generated new clients and markets in a country where previously one rarely heard of civilians carrying personal weapons. The persistent security vacuum has sparked a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Al Masry Al Youm (Egypt)
34989
Angola
Voluntary Surrender of Firearms in Angola [Francais]
25 June 2011
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
[Translated summary: Fourteen firearms of various calibres were voluntarily surrendered to the police by population of the province of Cunene].
ONDJIVA, Angola - Quatorze armes de divers calibres ont été volontairement remises à la police la semaine dernière par population dans la province de Cunene.
Il s'agit de 14 armes de type AKM, cinq chargeurs, un obus de mortier de 60mm et 448 cartouches diverses.
La semaine antérieure, la population de Cunene avait... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
34987
Congo (DRC)
Preventing Diversion of Firearms and Ammunition in Congo DRC [Francais]
15 June 2011
La Prospérité (Congo DRC)
[Translated summary: A panel of experts met this week in Kinshasa to discuss the stockpiling and destruction of firearms and ammunition in DRC. The objective was to define the geographic priorities and emergencies on matters related to securing and managing stockpiling of National Defence firearms and ammunition. As mentioned by the National Commission, this is one step towards the implementation of the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: La Prospérité (Congo DRC)
34942
Congo (DRC)
Campaign to Pass New Law, Return Guns in North Kivu, Congo [Francais]
5 June 2011
Radio Okapi (Congo DRC)
[Translated summary: Local civil society groups met in Goma, DRC to raise awareness of the 12,000 firearms distributed to civilians during conflict, but not returned. They urged the government to pass a new law on the movement of firearms].
C'est le constat fait, samedi 4 juin, à Goma à l'issue d'une journée de réflexion organisée par l'Association des volontaires du Congo (Asvoco) sur le thème: «Qui est responsable?». Selon le président de cette association,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Radio Okapi (Congo DRC)
34917
Angola
Disarmament Campaign Collects 123 Illegal Firearms in Luanda, Angola
12 February 2011
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
LUANDA — At least 123 fire-arms of various calibres were collected in January in the province of Luanda, part of process of disarmament of citizens in illegal possession of weapons which runs across the country.
According to a report from the technical sub-committee of Luanda that reached Angop, in this period were also collected 36 loaders and 146 ammunitions.
Concerning the surrender and coercive collection of weapons, the note highlights the police units of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
34394
Central Africa
New Central Africa Gun Control Convention Sparks Regional Optimism
22 November 2010
IRIN (UN News)
BRAZZAVILLE - Officials and analysts expressed optimism that a convention signed in Brazzaville, the Congolese capital, on 19 November would succeed in stemming the flow of small arms in central Africa, as long as it is backed by robust implementation measures.
"For the DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo] which has suffered the disastrous consequences of the circulation of small arms, a legal instrument such as the Kinshasa Convention is something extremely crucial,"... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
33692
Central Africa,Gabon
UN Anti-crime Body Lauds Gabon's Accession to Arms Trafficking Treaty
22 September 2010
United Nations News Centre
The head of the United Nations crime watchdog today applauded the accession by Gabon to treaties on human and arms trafficking, noting that the move will help strengthen peace and security in Central Africa.
The two pacts are part of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, which is under the jurisdiction of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and was adopted in the Italian city of Palermo a decade ago.
Gabon acceded to two of the Convention's... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Nations News Centre
33400
Angola
Over 76,000 Firearms Seized in Angola This Year, New Gun Laws Needed
12 August 2010
Afrique en Ligne
LUANDA, Angola - A total of 76,859 firearms of various types were seized this year by the National Commission for Disarmament of Civilians in Illegal Possession of Arms.
The coordinator of the Technical sub-Commission for Disarmament, Paulo de Almeida, said at the end of a meeting of the National Commission on Wednesday that Luanda continued to lead in the statistics, followed by southern Huila province.
According to police chief-commissioner, Paulo de Almeida, some... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Afrique en Ligne
33170
Central Africa
Small Arms Trafficking Continues to Decrease Stability in Central Africa
29 July 2010
Voice of America
Trafficking in small arms and light weapons is on the rise in parts of Central Africa, say regional sources from the International Action Network against Light Weapons. Members of the group say this proliferation poses an increased threat to stability in the area.
Regional experts who work to combat arms trafficking recently met in Gabon to discuss the increasing threat posed by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Central Africa.
Based in Central... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Voice of America
33103
Tanzania,Kenya,Rwanda,Congo (DRC),Burundi,Somalia,Ethiopia,Djibouti,Eritrea
Great Lakes and Horn of Africa Nations Add Local Serial Numbers to Guns
3 July 2010
Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
The Regional Centre on Small Arms (Recsa) is procuring a database software to facilitate firearms marking, record keeping and trade of light weapons in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa.
Speaking at a two-day regional workshop in Dar es Salaam on Thursday, the Recsa Monitoring and Evaluation head, Mr Nestory Mpembela, said with the database software, small arms and light weapons particulars would be at finger tips.
"This product will immensely and positively... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
32962
Zimbabwe,India,Algeria,Chad,Angola,Saudi Arabia,Colombia,Libya,South Africa,Swaziland,Cameroon,United Arab Emirates
South Africa Takes Fire for Gun Sales to Conflict Areas, Blacklisted Nations
1 July 2010
Christian Science Monitor
JOHANNESBURG - South Africa, which has been winning applause for its hosting of the 2010 World Cup, is now coming under fire for another success: global arms sales.
According to the South African watch group, Ceasefire Campaign, South African arms merchants have sold $1.7 billion worth of weapons in the past decade to "problematic" countries that are either involved in internal conflicts or with poor human rights records. The arms sales would appear to be in violation... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Christian Science Monitor
32947
Bosnia & Herzegovina,Panama,Chad,Israel,United States,Somalia
Israeli Gun Dealer Indicted in US, Smuggling Bosnian AK-47s to Somalia
29 June 2010
Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry sources adamantly denied yesterday that they were in any way involved in arms shipments to Somalia.
Spokesmen for both ministries were responding to news of the arrest in the U.S. of Hanoch Miller, an Israeli arms merchant, for allegedly illegal arms sales to Somalia, forging documents, money laundering and violating the UN arms embargo on Somalia.
A Defense Ministry spokesman said there is a ban on arms sales to Somalia and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Ha'aretz (Tel Aviv)
32903
Angola
Angola Announces Seizure, Destruction of 74,495 Firearms In Past 2 Years
17 June 2010
ReliefWeb / Government of Angola, Media release
NEW YORK – The Angolan permanent representative to the United Nations, Ismael Gaspar Martins, Thursday in New York announced that a total of 74,495 firearms were seized in Angola the last two years, as a result of a Government action to fight the proliferation and trafficking of war material.
Ismael Martins was speaking at the UN 4th Biennial Session on small arms, accompanied by the deputy commander general of the National Police and coordinator of the National... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: ReliefWeb / Government of Angola
32858
Angola
Soldiers Deactivate, Destroy Machine Guns, Explosives, Ammo in Angola
16 May 2010
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
LUCALA, Angola — At least 106 various explosive devices were destroyed on Friday in Lucala locality, in the northern Kwanza Norte Province, by a demining brigade of the Angolan Armed Forces (FAA).
The referred explosive devices were deactivated from January to April 2010 in "Coreia Dois" area in Lucala locality.
The explosive devices and other lethal materials which were destroyed comprise 22 machine-guns of different calibres, an RPG7, seven projectiles from... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
32688
United Nations,Central Africa
UN Secretary General Exhorts Central Africans to Combat Gun Runners
30 April 2010
UN News Centre (New York)
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today exhorted ministers from Central African nations to work towards adopting a legal instrument to combat illicit arms trafficking, a move that will help reduce violence and bring peace and security to countries in the sub-region.
"The link between arms trafficking and other illicit activities is increasingly undeniable," said Mr. Ban. "Yet Central Africa remains one of the few African sub-regions without a legally binding instrument to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: UN News Centre (New York)
32610
Africa,Central Africa,East Africa
Thirteen African States Strengthen Gun Control, Disarmament Guidelines
17 April 2010
Standard (Nairobi)
Proliferation of guns and other light weapons has become a serious security threat.
Efforts by Kenya, Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia to disarm pastoralists have failed to bear fruits and the arms trade and cattle rustling continue to thrive.
However, the Regional Centre On Small Arms (Recsa) plans to develop a common disarmament guideline for its 13 member States, including Kenya.
Recsa Executive Secretary Francis Sang says poor co-ordination and disorganised disarmament... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Standard (Nairobi)
32574
Congo (DRC)
Firearm Buyback Creates Market, Organisers Drop Gun Price in DR Congo
29 January 2010
Xinhua
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 capital Goma on Friday.
Each local... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
32024
South Africa,Angola,Togo
"Guns and Football Do Not Go Together"
11 January 2010
Times Live (South Africa)
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 in France, not elsewhere," the LOC head... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Times Live (South Africa)
31808
Angola
2 Arrested, 3 Dead in Togo Team Bus Shooting
10 January 2010
BBC News
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 in Friday's attack and the team has returned home.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
31807
Angola
Togo Team Bus Attacked by Automatic Gunfire, 1 Dead, 9 Hurt
8 January 2010
Associated Press
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 as planned.
Togo's bus in a convoy... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
31805
Central Africa,East Africa,Kenya,Rwanda,Somalia,Sudan,Uganda,Burundi,Congo (DRC)
Small Arms Control Group Decries 'Huge' Proliferation of Guns in Africa
3 November 2009
Xinhua
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 national, sub-regional, regional and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
31368
East Africa,Central Africa
East, Central African Countries Harmonise Laws to Curb Gun Trafficking
7 September 2009
East African (Nairobi)
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 said.
The harmonisation programme... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: East African (Nairobi)
30890
Zimbabwe,Congo (DRC)
Zimbabwe, Congo Fuelling Gun, Ammo Trafficking in East, Central Africa
21 July 2009
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg)
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 the United States. Zimbabwe also... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg)
30764
Zimbabwe,South Africa,Congo (ROC),Montenegro,United States
US, Congo, Zimbabwe, Montenegro All Involved in Gun Running - Report
12 July 2009
Sunday Independent (South Africa)
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 political climate was at its most volatile, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sunday Independent (South Africa)
30515
United Nations,Rwanda,Central Africa,East Africa,Southern Africa
Rwanda to Host UN Global Gun Control Meeting in Kigali, 8-9 July
3 July 2009
United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs / UNODA (New York), Media release
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 Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs / UNODA (New York)
30452
Benin,Gabon
Smuggled Bullets Undo Gabon-Benin Arms Trafficking Ring [Francais]
29 June 2009
Fraternité (Cotonou)
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 renforcement de la sécurité portuaire... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Fraternité (Cotonou)
30433
Cameroon
Communities in Cameroon Urged to Join Global Gun Control Campaign
29 June 2009
Cameroon Tribune
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 were out "to raise awareness,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Cameroon Tribune
30408
Nigeria,Ukraine,Equatorial Guinea
Crew of Impounded, Gun-filled Ukrainian Plane Moved to Nigerian Capital
22 June 2009
This Day (Lagos)
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 confirmed that Ukrainian embassy officials met... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: This Day (Lagos)
30373
Nigeria,Ukraine,Equatorial Guinea
Ukrainian Plane, Gun Cargo Seized in Nigeria May Be 'Meant for Militants'
21 June 2009
Vanguard (Lagos)
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, it is one and the same thing as MEND... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Vanguard (Lagos)
30358
Equatorial Guinea,Nigeria,Ukraine,Guinea-Bissau,West Africa
Nigeria Seizes Planeload of Guns, Military Ammunition for Mystery Client
19 June 2009
Daily Trust (Abuja)
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 the plane stopped over in Kano to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Trust (Abuja)
30330
Nigeria,Ukraine,Equatorial Guinea
Nigeria Impounds Ukrainian Plane Carrying Guns for Equatorial Guinea
18 June 2009
Reuters
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 an aircraft had been detained but gave no... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
30322
Portugal,Angola,Brazil,Cape Verde,Guinea-Bissau,Mozambique,Sao Tome & Principe,Timor-Leste
Police Chiefs of Portuguese-speaking Nations Meet to Curb Gun Running
12 June 2009
Diario de Noticias (Lisbon)
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 falling into criminal hands.
The CPLP... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Diario de Noticias (Lisbon)
30323
Nigeria,Chad
Four Female Gun Traffickers, Smugglers Hunted by Nigerian Police
10 June 2009
Daily Trust (Abuja)
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 to the same family and hail from Wukari... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Trust (Abuja)
30269
Central African Republic
Under the Gun - Violence and Displacement in Central African Republic
28 May 2009
IRIN (UN News)
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, demonstrates, many Central Africans... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
30240
Angola
Over 55,000 Guns Collected, Destroyed in Angola During the Past Year
25 May 2009
Angola Press Agency
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 reconstruction in the African... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency
30133
Angola
55,064 Illegal Guns Collected, 60 Convicted of Possession in Angola
17 April 2009
Angola Press
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 taking measures of the criminal... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press
29914
Congo (DRC)
Guns Empower Rapists, Drive HIV/Aids, Rob Congo Families of Future
5 March 2009
Daily Nation (Nairobi), Opinion
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.
Doctors there began vaginal... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Nation (Nairobi)
29588
Congo (ROC)
Congo Pays US$200 Each to Buy Back, Destroy 3,000 Assault Weapons
4 March 2009
IRIN (UN News)
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 former fighters, told IRIN on 2 March.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
29392
Congo (ROC)
Congo Gun Amnesty, Buyback to Collect 3,000 Weapons for Destruction
13 February 2009
IRIN (UN News)
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 Olingoba, commissioner in charge of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
29203
Congo (DRC)
Rebel Attacks Fuel Illegal Gun, Ammunition Factories in Eastern Congo
12 February 2009
San Francisco Chronicle
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 from attacks on surrounding villages, master... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: San Francisco Chronicle
29199
Nigeria,Chad
West African Gun Smuggling Route Was Run by a Woman from Chad
8 February 2009
Daily Trust (Abuja)
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 also superb.
But that, however, was... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Trust (Abuja)
29160
Congo (DRC)
Congo Buyback Collects 3,000 Guns, Mainly from Women: Many Stolen?
15 December 2008
IRIN (UN News)
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 order were handed over to the police,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
28942
Angola
Amnesty Yields 1,589 'Freely Surrendered' Illegal Guns in Angola
15 November 2008
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
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 at police stations in the districts of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
28657
Central Africa,Congo (DRC)
'Disastrous Impact' of Illicit Gun Trafficking on Women in Central Africa
18 September 2008
Pambazuka News (Africa/UK), Web Page
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.
It is recognized that women are less able... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pambazuka News (Africa/UK)
28238
Rwanda,Central Africa,East Africa
Firearm Marking, Fight Against Gun Proliferation 'On Track' in Rwanda
19 August 2008
New Times (Kigali)
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.
"The situation is now under control... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Times (Kigali)
28022
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