AEFJN. 2010 ‘Illegal Transfer of Arms from Africa to Africa - Arms Traffic Networks.’ Arms Exports and Transfers: From Sub-Saharan Africa to Sub-Saharan Africa, pp. 6-7. Brussels: Africa Europe Faith and Justice Network (AEFJN). 1 December

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The Illegal Transfer of Arms from Africa to Africa - Arms Traffic Networks

Added to that a number of arms traffic networks operating from Tanzania, Burundi and DR Congo have been sending arms to the different rebel groups. Somalia has been under UN embargo since 2000, yet the government of Djibouti has furnished arms and medicines to the Islamic Court Union, an opposition group.

Darfur has been for years under UN embargo but arms have been provided by the Chadian government.

Many countries buy arms mentioning they are for their own use, but later on they are directed to a third country under embargo. Chad, Burkina Faso and Guinea have done that in different occasions.

As of 1 October 2010, three francophone States of sub-Saharan Africa are under partial or total arms transfers sanctions imposed by regional or international organizations: Ivory Coast, DR Congo (UN) and Guinea (Economic Community African and Western European Union).

Arms traffickers on other continents fly or ship weapons illicitly into Africa. Most of the illicit small arms used in Africa originate from China, Israel, and more than 20 OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe) members. The clandestine nature of this trade makes it impossible to know its real value, but it is obvious that in Africa the illicit trade in small arms is counter developmental on many levels.

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