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Firearm violence, gun control and small arms

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,Chile,Honduras,Guatemala,United Arab Emirates,Trinidad & Tobago,Jordan,Dominican Republic,Singapore,Kazakhstan,Liberia,Saudi Arabia,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Congo (DRC),Guyana,Mauritius,Latvia,Oman,Nepal,Somalia,Bolivia,Colombia,Venezuela,Peru,Mexico,Qatar,Kuwait,Indonesia,Malaysia,Thailand

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)

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

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

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)

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

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)

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

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

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

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)

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)

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

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

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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

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

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

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)

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

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)

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

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

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

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

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

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)

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)

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

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

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)

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)

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)

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

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)

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)

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)

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)

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)

Uganda,East Africa,Central Africa

African Great Lakes Nations Brand State Guns to Detect Theft, Diversion

18 August 2008

Daily Monitor (Kampala)

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 the deadline. "We expect all member... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Daily Monitor (Kampala)

Uganda,East Africa,Central Africa

Uganda, African Neighbours Given Ultimatum to Brand All State Guns

18 August 2008

New Vision (Kampala)

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 to brand their weapons," he said. The... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: New Vision (Kampala)

219 Guns Surrendered to Angola Police Considered 'Very Little' Result

18 August 2008

Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

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 the number of inhabitants and crimes... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

23,444 Guns Seized from Civilians, Stored by Government, Angola Tells UN

17 July 2008

Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

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 and light weapons control. The... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

Mali,West Africa,Central Africa

Gun Running, Weapon Trafficking Worsen in West Africa, Central Africa

10 July 2008

IRIN (UN News)

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, who says regional monitoring has... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: IRIN (UN News)

Government Announces Forcible Disarming of Civilians in Angola

7 July 2008

Angola Press Agency

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 Dias dos Santos. According to a... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Angola Press Agency

Citizens Voluntarily Hand Over 787 Guns Prior to 'Coercive Phase' in Angola

3 June 2008

Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

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 with 104. Among the materials, he... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

Gun Amnesty Collects 1,654 Illegal Firearms for Destruction in Angola

15 May 2008

Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

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 several ammunitions were equally... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

Illegal Guns Slow Angola's National Reconciliation: Disarmament the Answer

6 May 2008

Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

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 also explained that disarming the population... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

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

30 April 2008

Economist

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 and South Africa, for example, is... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Economist

Zimbabwe,China,South Africa,United States,Mozambique,Angola,Namibia

China Says Ship Carrying Ammunition, Guns to Zimbabwe May Head Home

22 April 2008

Associated Press

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 on its opposition. Zimbabwean church... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Associated Press

Zimbabwe,China,South Africa,United States,Mozambique,Angola,Namibia

Gun Cargo Rejection 'Dramatic Turn' for Africa's Embrace of Zimbabwe

22 April 2008

Washington Post

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 President Robert Mugabe and its... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Washington Post

Zimbabwe,China,South Africa,Mozambique,Angola,Namibia,Zambia

Chinese Ammunition 'Ship of Shame' Adrift in Southern African Controversy

22 April 2008

IRIN (UN News)

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 of Shame" — is now en route to the... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: IRIN (UN News)

Zimbabwe,China,South Africa,Mozambique,Angola,Namibia

Zimbabwe Bristles at Southern Africa's Rejection of Guns, Ammo Cargo

22 April 2008

News24 (Cape Town)

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, saying the weapons should not be allowed... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: News24 (Cape Town)

United States,Zimbabwe,South Africa,Mozambique,Zambia,Angola,China

Southern African Ports Shun Ship Carrying Guns to Zimbabwe; US Agrees

22 April 2008

Los Angeles Times / Chicago Tribune

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 in the region today, will urge... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Los Angeles Times / Chicago Tribune

United States,Zimbabwe,Mozambique,Namibia,Angola,South Africa,China

US Seeks to Block Zimbabwe-bound Chinese Ammunition, Gun Shipment

22 April 2008

Associated Press

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 to step up pressure on President... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Associated Press

Namibia,Zimbabwe,Angola,China

Cargo of Chinese Guns, Ammunition Visits Namibia on Way to Zimbabwe

22 April 2008

Namibian (Windhoek)

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 had not returned them by the time of going to... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Namibian (Windhoek)

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

21 April 2008

East African (Nairobi)

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 and will be distributed to each... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: East African (Nairobi)

Zimbabwe,South Africa,Angola,China

South African Court, Unions, NGOs Block Guns, Ammo Cargo to Zimbabwe

20 April 2008

Scotland on Sunday

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 to have any dealings with the deadly cargo,... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Scotland on Sunday

West Africa,Central Africa

UN Helps West and Central African Countries Fight Scourge of Illicit Guns

16 April 2008

UN News Centre (New York), Media release

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 and Trace, in a Timely and Reliable... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: UN News Centre (New York)

Another 668 Civilian Guns Voluntarily Surrendered for Destruction In Angola

14 April 2008

Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

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 50 percent of the firearms were handed... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

Italy,Libya,Chad,Sudan,China

Libya Tried to Buy 1 Million Chinese Assault Rifles, Perhaps for Chad, Sudan

13 April 2008

Associated Press

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 dealers from across Italy for a year before... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Associated Press

Kenya,East Africa,Central Africa

Central, East African Nations Begin to Mark, Register and Trace Legal Guns

7 April 2008

Daily Nation (Nairobi)

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 made the remarks at Leopard Beach Hotel... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Daily Nation (Nairobi)

Kenya,East Africa,Central Africa

Central, East African States Launch Gun Marking Scheme to Curb Trafficking

2 April 2008

East African Standard (Nairobi)

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. Marking the firearms makes it easier to... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: East African Standard (Nairobi)

Angola,Central Africa

Angola, UNDP Discuss Disarmament of Citizens Illegally Owning Firearms

6 March 2008

Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

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 by the Angolan government. To... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

Angolan Government, NGOs Warn Civilians to Surrender Their Illegal Guns

6 March 2008

Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

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 the Home Affairs Ministry, at the Palace... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

Angolan Govt Will Disarm Civilians, Then Destroy or Recirculate Their Guns

6 March 2008

Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

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 consist in the organisation and awareness... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

Angola Presses Ahead with Campaign to Disarm Civilians, Seize Illegal Guns

4 March 2008

Angola Press

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 will happen under the theme "Disarmed... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Angola Press

Congolese Troops Collect, Destroy Surplus Guns, Ammunition, Explosives

28 February 2008

IRIN (UN News)

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 on the ground after the events of 1997,... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: IRIN (UN News)

Angola Debates Law to Disarm Citizens in Possession of Illegal Guns

26 February 2008

Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

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 controversy. Some press organs have... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

Sudan,China,Chad,Austria

Guns, Grenade Launchers in Chad, Darfur Traced Back to China, Austria

22 February 2008

Mother Jones (USA)

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 Chad. The Sudanese government,... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Mother Jones (USA)

UN Experts Call for Increased Monitoring of Gun-running to Congo, Africa

19 February 2008

UN News Service (New York)

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 fashion." The report was written based... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: UN News Service (New York)

Angola Plans 'Guns for Development' Weapon Collection, Destruction

30 January 2008

Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

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 seminar), voluntary surrender of weapons and... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)

Namibia,Angola,Southern Africa

Police Destroy 3 Tonnes of Illegal Firearms, Ammunition in Southern Africa

26 November 2007

Namibian (Windhoek)

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. Operation Mandume started at the... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Namibian (Windhoek)

United States,Congo (DRC)

Diplomats from Congo Buy 30 Handguns, Ammo at New York Gun Shop

16 October 2007

Village Voice (New York)

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 alphabet soup of rival militias like the ADF,... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Village Voice (New York)

Burundi,Congo (DRC),United Nations

Burundi Massacre Reminds World of the Need for a Global Gun Trade Treaty

17 August 2007

Daily Nation (Nairobi), Opinion

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 baby, had been shot and... (GunPolicy.org)

Read More: Daily Nation (Nairobi)

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