Gun Policy News
Firearm violence, gun control and small arms
Egypt
Rising Gang Violence in Ecuador Prompts State of Emergency
6 May 2022
Organization for World Peace
President Guillermo Lasso of Ecuador has declared a state of emergency in the provinces of Guayas, Manabí, and Esmeraldas, as a result of rising crime in the region. Citing the impact of drug trafficking gangs, he has announced the imposition of a curfew and has sent 9,000 police and soldiers to the coastal provinces in an effort to enforce peace and order. Since taking office in 2021, this action means President Lasso has now twice used emergency powers due to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Organization for World Peace
40746
Morocco
Morocco Approves Draft Law to Regulate Firearms
12 March 2022
Hespress
The Government Council, chaired by Aziz Akhannouch Head of Government, approved, in its session of Thursday on March 10, the draft law No. 86.21 on firearms, their parts, components, accessories, and ammunition, put forth by the Minister of the Interior Abdelouafi Laftit.
The project aims to fortify the kingdom's legislation with international conventions against all forms of illicit firearms trafficking.
At a press conference after the meeting of the Government... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Hespress
40717
Afghanistan,Libya
Afghanistan and Libya: All Weapons in the Hands of Islamic Terrorists
22 September 2021
Corriere della Sera (italy)
Afghanistan, Libya and Syria are the three crises that today fuel the archipelago of Islamic extremism. Three countries that are out of control and where Western intervention has increased the risk to global security. In Doha, in recent months, the Americans negotiated the withdrawal from Afghanistan with the Taliban, promising: we will leave, but you will not allow al Qaeda or other extremist groups to operate in the country. We know how that went. And when countries... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Corriere della Sera (italy)
40572
North Africa,Slovakia,Czech Republic,France,Serbia,Burkina Faso,Mali
Sahel: Serbian Weapons Used by Brutal Armed Groups
24 August 2021
Amnesty International
Amnesty International's arms experts have identified Serbian-manufactured weapons in videos posted by armed groups operating in the Sahel, including an Islamic State affiliate which has claimed responsibility for hundreds of civilian deaths. The new rifles, some the latest available models, match trade records of Serbia's sales to Burkina Faso, suggesting the weapons were recently sold to the government before falling into the hands of armed groups.
Amnesty... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Amnesty International
40629
Sudan
Sudan Destroys 300,000 Illegal Firearms
30 September 2020
Daily Independent (Sudan)
The Sudanese government destroyed over 300,000 illegal weapons that were handed over voluntarily over three phases as part of the National Project for Collecting Firearms, announcing the launch of the fourth phase.
At a ceremony held in Hajar al-Asal area in northern Sudan, thousands of the firearms collected over the past three years were destroyed in a controlled explosion by the army.
The operation was carried out in the presence of defense and interior ministers,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Independent (Sudan)
40552
Sudan
Sudan Collects 30,000 Firearms in Darfur
25 December 2017
Dabanga (Sudan)
The disarmament campaign in North Darfur has not led to the planned results, according to the state's governor, although more than 170 militiamen affiliated with former janjaweed leader Musa Hilal have reportedly been arrested.
Talking to a Darfur local radio on Saturday, Governor Abdelwahid Yousif Ibrahim acknowledged the small number of the weapons collected so far.
He pointed to the spread of huge numbers of arms in North Darfur, and stressed that there is still a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Dabanga (Sudan)
40364
Sudan
Sudanese Government to Initiate Collection Campaign for Illegal Firearms
7 August 2017
Dabanga (Sudan)
This week, Second Vice-President Hasabo Abdelrahman will chair the first meeting with the five governors of Darfur about the disarmament campaign scheduled to start before the end of this year.
The Governor of North Darfur, Abdelwahid Yousif, said in a press statement on Sunday that Abdelrahman would arrive in El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, today, to discuss the state's plan for the collection of unlicensed arms with the governors of the five states of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Dabanga (Sudan)
40365
Morocco
Police Killing Sparks New Gun Rules in Morocco [FR]
25 November 2016
Yabiladi (Morocco)
[Translated summary: Following human rights protests after police killed two criminals in Morocco, the General Directorate for National Security has given new instructions regarding the use of service firearms. Guns must be the last resort and police officers must aim for the limbs, except in the case of terrorist attack or resistance to the authorities.]
Suite au décès de deux « délinquants » tombés sous les balles de la police à Béni Mellal et Salé, les... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Yabiladi (Morocco)
40240
West Africa,North Africa
Report Sheds Light on the Origin of Guns in the Sahel [FR]
16 November 2016
Libération (France)
[Translated summary: Conflict Armament Research has published a report about gun transfers in the Sahel region in which they analyse stocks of firearms and ammunition seized from traffickers and combatants. They concluded that Libya is no longer the main source of illegal firearms; Côte d'Ivoire and Sudan have the biggest stocks of guns in the region, but Chinese and Russian firearms are also common.]
Une enquête minutieuse du Conflict Armement Research apporte un... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Libération (France)
40197
Algeria,Tunisia,Morocco,Libya
Algeria Seizes Many Guns at Tunisian and Libyan Borders [FR]
16 November 2016
Réalités (Tunisia)
[Translated summary: Algerian Customs have seized a large number of firearms at the borders with Tunisia and Libya. The guns are very sophisticated and equipped with new technologies. They belong to trafficking networks and terrorists from Libya, where there are 20,000 illegal firearms in circulation.]
Les services de la Douane algérienne ont intensifié récemment leur présence au niveau des frontières avec le Maroc et la Tunisie et ce en ayant recours à d'autres... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Réalités (Tunisia)
40189
United States,Saudi Arabia,South Korea,United Kingdom,Germany,Algeria,Switzerland,Netherlands,United Arab Emirates,Turkey,France
Germany Defends Its Sudden Leap in Gun, Ammo Exports [ES]
26 October 2016
Deutsche Welle
[Translated summary: Between January and June 2016, Germany exported firearms and military equipment amounting to €4 billion; an increase of 500 million in relation to the same period in 2015. The government defended its firearm export policy, saying that it's restrictive and transparent and assuring that they give a "special relevance" to the respect of human rights.]
Entre enero y junio de 2016 Alemania concedió permisos de exportación de armas y equipamiento... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Deutsche Welle
40083
Morocco
Morocco: Police Must Use Guns More to Fight Crime [FR]
18 September 2016
Le 360 (Morocco)
[Translated summary: To face an increase in crime, Moroccan police will be required to use their firearms more often. Police sources explain that this is a right they haven't employed until now because the level of crime in Morocco was not as high as in other countries. Morocco has around 50,000 police officers and most of them carry Beretta pistols and HK machine guns.]
Pour faire face à la montée de la criminalité, la police marocaine serait désormais appelée à... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le 360 (Morocco)
39879
United States,Switzerland,European Union,Egypt,Saudi Arabia,Yemen,Bahrain,United Arab Emirates,Qatar,Kuwait,Lebanon,Jordan
Arms Trade Treaty Member Nations Flout Gun Trade Rules [FR]
26 August 2016
SwissInfo
[Translated summary: Many countries that have signed the Arms Trade Treaty continue to ignore the rules. Only Portugal, Slovenia and Sweden have been completely transparent about their trade. US, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France and Italy continue to sell arms to Egypt which translates into the torture and death of hundreds of people.]
Disposer d'un traité sur le commerce des armes, c'est bien. Encore faut-il qu'il soit respecté. Pour Amnesty International, trop... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SwissInfo
39750
Saudi Arabia,Afghanistan,Bulgaria,Italy,Syria,Czech Republic,Iran,Libya,Yemen,United Kingdom,Ukraine,United States,South Sudan,France
World Powers Accused of Violating Arms Trade Treaty [ES]
23 August 2016
IPS Noticias
[Translated summary: Human Rights organisations and military analysts accuse the United States, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France and Italy of violating the Arms Trade Treaty by selling to countries in conflict. Experts say that effectively implementing the treaty could save millions of lives.]
NACIONES UNIDAS - Los grandes proveedores de armamento violan el tratado que regula su comercio y que se propone frenar el flujo de armas pequeñas y ligeras hacia las zonas de... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IPS Noticias
39850
Yemen,Syria,South Sudan,United States,Bulgaria,Czech Republic,France,Italy,Egypt,Ukraine,Moldova,Slovakia,United Kingdom,Saudi Arabia,Germany,Spain
UN: No Tolerance for States Who Flout Arms Trade Treaty
22 August 2016
Amnesty International (London)
- States Parties [countries] still engaging in unscrupulous arms transfers, putting lives and human rights at risk
- More than a quarter of States Parties are yet to meet the treaty's reporting obligations
- Some States Parties opting to reject public scrutiny of their arms transfers
States must ensure the global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) lives up to its promise to save lives and protect human rights from the devastating effects of the international arms trade by taking... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Amnesty International (London)
39721
Libya
Gun Registration, Amnesty Launched in Two Libyan Cities
11 August 2016
Libya Herald
In a move driven possibly more by hope than expectation, the military police in Marj have unveiled a gun amnesty programme for residents to encourage them to hand over their weapons or register them.
Those in possession of firearms have 30 days in which to hand them in if they are heavy weapons, or register them for their personal protection, if they are classed as "light".
The move follows a similar one in Tobruk, where residents have until 15 September to hand in or... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Libya Herald
39679
Ukraine,Russia,Iraq,Syria,Libya
Ukraine Once Again a Trove for Black Market Gun Trafficking
25 July 2016
New York Times, Reuters
SLOVIANSK/MOSCOW — On Feb. 12 last year, the same day that a ceasefire ended the worst of the fighting in eastern Ukraine between rebels and government forces, a former rebel fighter seized a chance to turn his inside knowledge of the conflict into hard cash.
He traveled to a spot on the Russian-Ukrainian border where he retrieved a cache of weapons hidden there earlier by his comrades in the pro-Russian rebel movement.
Four days later, shortly before 6:00 p.m., he... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times, Reuters
39613
Sudan,Russia
Guns Continue to Proliferate, Russia Blocks Inquiry in Darfur
7 July 2016
Guardian
"I fired my first gunshot when I was nine," says Salih. "For years after that I was very eager to do it again. I owned my first weapon when I got to 14. It was an AK-47."
Salih is now 38, but guns have been a permanent fixture in his life. Growing up in Darfur in one of the Arab tribes that has been at war with other ethnic groups in the region since 2003, he says it quickly became clear the only way to protect his family was to get a weapon of his own.
In the 13... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian
39550
Sudan
More Than 400 Illegal Guns Collected in Sudanese County
3 July 2016
Gurtong Trust (Sudan)
More than 400 illegal firearms have been collected in the on-going disarmament process in Tonj South County.
Madit Malek Akuien the State Minister of Information said that process has been running smoothly with the Chiefs cooperating with the police.
"Disarmament is going on well, we have started in Tonj South, this disarmament in Tonj South is going on well, all the chiefs are cooperating with police and the army and as we are speaking a lot of guns have been... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Gurtong Trust (Sudan)
39543
Lebanon,Iraq,Jordan,Oman,Egypt,Saudi Arabia,Croatia,Israel,Kuwait,Germany,Spain,United Arab Emirates,Italy,Qatar,Switzerland,United States
World's Small Arms Trade Reached US$5.8 Billion in 2013
17 June 2016
Israel Homeland Security
The Small Arms Survey (SAS) released its annual Transfers and Transparency trade update for 2016, which reveals that the world's top and the largest of the smaller arms exporters conducted trade to the tune of $5.8bn in 2013. This represents an increase of 17 percent in small arms trade on 2012, which came in at $5bn flat.
The United States alone, the world's largest arms manufacturer and exporter, exported a record breaking $1.1bn worth of small arms in 2013. In a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Israel Homeland Security
39464
Algeria
Libya-linked Gun Trafficking Ring Dismantled in Algeria [FR]
23 May 2016
El Watan (Algiers)
[Translated summary: A network specialized in firearm trafficking has been dismantled in Algeria. Police arrested two people and seized 22 American pump-action shotguns, three Turkish shotguns, one handgun and ammunition, all from Libya.]
Un réseau spécialisé dans le trafic transfrontalier d'armes à feu a été démantelé en fin de semaine dernière. L'opération, menée par une brigade spécialisée de la sûreté de la wilaya d'Alger (SWA), a permis... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Watan (Algiers)
39332
Algeria
Large War Weapons Seizure from Gun Collector in Algeria [FR]
13 May 2016
Breizh Info
[Translated summary: Algeria National Police has seized MG 13, 34 and 42, one MP40, 6 Mauser rifles, pistols, ammunition and 500 kg. of explosives from a collector's house. None of these weapons were declared and they all belonged to the A category, the most regulated.]
La Police nationale a effectué une saisie d'armes de grande ampleur, mercredi matin , à Trémereuc (22) à côté de Dinard. Cette prise a été réalisée lors d'une perquisition chez un... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Breizh Info
39297
Algeria
Gun Trafficking Gangs Arrested in Algeria [FR]
5 May 2016
Le Matin d'Algérie
[Translated summary: Every day in Algeria there are more and more cases of violence in which young people are involved. In Batna, a network of gun traffickers was stopped by the national gendarmerie and two shotguns, one revolver, 227 cartridges and 960 capsules were seized.]
Dans la journée de mercredi, la faculté de droit a organisé un séminaire national sur la délinquance juvénile à l'auditorium de l'université. Ce rendez-vous a été une occasion pour... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Matin d'Algérie
39219
Nigeria,North Africa
Nigerian Herdsmen Banned from Carrying Guns
20 April 2016
This Day (Lagos)
MINNA — The Niger State Police Command has waged a fresh war against Fulani herdsmen in a bid to check kidnapping and cattle rustling.
The police have therefore outlawed the carrying of arms and ammunition by the herdsmen under any guise.
The decision of the police to ban the carrying of arms by the herdsmen followed an increase in the number of firearms recovered from the pastoralists in the last six months.
The state police spokesman, Bala Elikana, told... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: This Day (Lagos)
39150
Algeria
More than 300 Guns Seized from Terrorists in Algeria [FR]
19 April 2016
El Watan (Algiers)
[Translated summary: In less than 4 months, Algeria Armed Forces eliminated 31 terrorists and captured another 33. They recovered more than 300 weapons of war, including Kalashnikovs.]
En quatre mois seulement, les unités de l'ANP ont éliminé 31 terroristes et capturé 33 autres. Plus de 300 armes de guerre ont été récupérées, 182 casemates détruites et une dizaine de ceintures d'explosifs saisies lors d'opérations antiterroristes, principalement au sud-est... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Watan (Algiers)
39146
Europe,Eastern Europe,Croatia,Bulgaria,France,Albania,Saudi Arabia,Syria,Serbia,West Asia,Iraq,Yemen,Slovakia,Sudan
Balkan Gun Trade Fuels Crime, Terrorism in Europe, Asia
16 April 2016
Economist
The arsenal discovered in the apartment of Reda Kriket, a suspected terrorist arrested on March 24th near Paris, included explosives, Kalashnikov AK-47 rifles and a machine pistol from Croatia. The terrorists who staged the attacks last November in Paris employed AK-47s made by Zastava, a Serbian manufacturer. The Kouachi brothers, who attacked the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo the previous January, used Kalashnikov ammunition made in Bosnia. Whatever else these... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Economist
39179
United States,Botswana,Algeria,Libya,South Africa,Kenya,Rwanda,Djibouti
7 African Nations More Effective at Gun Control than the US
11 January 2016
Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg)
In a BBC interview last July, US President Barack Obama admitted that failure to pass "common sense gun safety laws" in the US has been the greatest frustration of his presidency.
Since he took office in 2008, there have been repeated mass shootings including the 2011 Tucson Arizona shooting in which Gabrielle Giffords, then a member of Congress and 18 others were shot in a supermarket parking lot. Six people died that day.
Another shooting was at Emanuel African... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Mail & Guardian (Johannesburg)
38991
Congo (DRC),Africa,Sudan,South Sudan,Bulgaria,Iran
Chasing Bullets, Firearms in the Democratic Republic of Congo
13 May 2014
IRIN (UN News)
Virunga National Park — Her job is to track and trace small arms and ammunition in Africa's conflict zones.
Each bullet, assault rifle, mortar, rocket or other item of military hardware she documents forms a piece of a huge jigsaw being created by the UK-based NGO Conflict Armaments Research (CAR) to map the precise flows of conflict weaponry in Africa.
Moving within the ebb and flow of the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) conflict, the investigator, who asked... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
38663
Morocco
Gun Crimes in Morocco Lead to False Sense of Insecurity [FR]
8 May 2014
Ya Watani
[Translated summary: Crime has fallen in Morocco in 2013 and the first quarter of 2014 but feelings of insecurity have risen, which officials blame on recent high profile gun crimes and images of people with guns on social media.]
Le taux de criminalité a régressé en 2013 ainsi que durant le premier trimestre de 2014. Durant les trois premiers mois de l'année en cours, le nombre des crimes portant atteinte aux personnes physiques a baissé de 6% et celui portant... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Ya Watani
38649
Africa,North Africa,Russia,Syria,Mali,Qatar,Turkey,Libya,Egypt,Chad,Somalia,Nigeria,Niger
Libya's Guns Free-For-All Fuels Region's Turmoil
22 March 2014
St Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri)
TRIPOLI — At the heart of the Libyan capital, the open-air Fish Market was once a place where residents went to buy everything from meat and seafood to clothes and pets. Now it's Tripoli's biggest arms market, with tables displaying pistols and assault rifles. Ask a vendor, and he can pull out bigger machine guns to sell for thousands of dollars.
Libya, where hundreds of militias hold sway and the central government is virtually powerless, is awash in millions of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: St Louis Post-Dispatch (Missouri)
38494
Libya,France,Qatar
After Decades With Few Guns, Almost Every Libyan Household Has One
25 February 2014
PolicyMic
In a country where civilian gun ownership was rare for decades, a sudden inundation of small arms means plenty of people will likely get shot.
One recent afternoon, Ahmed, 26, was driving around Tripoli with his brother Bashir, 24. Without warning, the driver in the car in front of them slammed his brakes. Ahmed, who nearly rear-ended the offending vehicle, honked his horn. The other driver got out of his car. A shouting match became physical and the man went back to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: PolicyMic
38412
Europe,European Union,Albania,Macedonia,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Iraq,North Africa,Afghanistan,Serbia,Croatia
Chasing Exports, Balkan Countries Foster Gun, Ammunition Industries
24 February 2014
Southeast European Times
Balkan countries are taking measures to support domestic military firms in an effort to improve their economies and develop closer relations with NATO, experts said.
Governments pay more attention to the military industry's economic potential, said Blagoja Markovski, president of the Balkan Security Forum in Skopje.
"It offers extraordinary opportunities to create jobs and help the development of the economy. Individual countries' earnings range from tens of millions... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Southeast European Times
38438
West Africa,Central African Republic,Sudan,Nigeria,Congo (DRC),Cameroon,Libya
Arms Smuggling to Nigerian Criminals Threatens Cameroon
21 February 2014
IRIN (UN News)
YAOUNDE — Recent arms seizures and arrests of traffickers in Cameroon's Far North Region have highlighted the escalating insecurity caused by Boko Haram in neighbouring Nigeria and the impact of the unrest in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Sudan.
In January, Cameroon's security forces arrested a man attempting to transport 655 guns to Nigeria. In September 2013, 5,400 AK-47 rifles were seized on a pick-up truck in Maroua, the capital of Far North Region,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
38395
Algeria
Police Seize Illegal Firearms from 'Gun Workshop' in Algeria
21 February 2014
Kuwait News Agency
ALGIERS - The Algerian security services on Friday seized a workshop for manufacturing firearms and ammunition in Biskra province, some 400 kms to the southeast of Algiers.
Two workers, a man and his son, were arrested at the site, located at the basement of a house in the area.
The police seized five guns, shooting rifles, 10 knives, five kilograms of gunpowder, 400 ready-to-use bullets and arms making equipment.
The authorities are investigating whether the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Kuwait News Agency
38394
Libya,West Asia,Egypt,Syria,Mali,North Africa,Italy,France,United States,United Kingdom,Russia,Belarus,China,Algeria,Caribbean,South America,Niger,Chad,European Union,Tunisia
Post-Uprising Gun Proliferation is Destabilising the Middle East
20 February 2014
Fair Observer
In recent years, as order in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) eroded between uprisings and armed conflicts, the desire for arms amongst a wide range of actors became one more destabilizing factor in the complexities of each situation.
However, arms proliferation is nothing new to the MENA region. Whether it was through state actors or black market trading, weapons have circulated throughout the Middle East and North Africa for many years.
Today, arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Fair Observer
38403
China,Congo (DRC),Germany,United Kingdom,Myanmar,Israel,European Union,Italy,Spain,Egypt,France,Libya,Saudi Arabia
European Arms Sales to Middle East Reach Record Level, NGOs Concerned
1 February 2014
Ekklesia (UK)
European Union countries licensed arms exports in 2012 valued at €39.9 billion, according to newly released figures. This included a record €9.7 billion in sales to the Middle East – a 22 percent increase on sales in the previous year.
The statistics are revealed in the Fifteenth Annual Report on Control of Exports of Military Technology and Equipment.
The European Network Against the Arms Trade (ENAA) says that the figures show little change in arms export... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Ekklesia (UK)
38328
China,Egypt,United States,Turkey
Over 2,000 Rifles Seized At Egyptian Port
29 December 2013
Egypt State Information Service
Egyptian customs authorities on Saturday seized firearms and ammunition in containers coming from the United States, Turkey and China.
Two Beirut-bound containers were found at the Alexandria port carrying 2,400 rifles of different types, said the head of the Egyptian Customs Authority Mohamed el-Salhawy.
Another two shipments of fireworks arrived at Dekheila port. They were imported under a fake request of medical supplies. Meantime, four containers were seized at... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Egypt State Information Service
38224
Libya
Libya Criminalises Gun Ownership But Critics Question Enforcement
19 December 2013
Magharebia (USA)
TRIPOLI — Libya's General National Congress (GNC) on Sunday (December 15th) passed a law criminalising possession of all kinds of weapons, light and heavy, as well as explosives.
The new legislation states that if weapons are not handed over within 90 days, the person will be liable to a prison sentence between three to 10 years and a fine of up to 20,000 Libyan dinars. A financial incentive to be assessed by the defence ministry will also be granted to those who... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Magharebia (USA)
38205
Morocco,China
Moroccan Authorities Seize Suspected Homicide Gun From Crime Gang
18 December 2013
Morocco World News
CASABLANCA - Last August, the police managed to arrest Chinese criminals who attempted to assassinate a Chinese citizen at Casablanca's Derb Omar. Recently, the police announced the dismantling of a mafia network, which is this time originally from Europe.
According to MAP, the National Team of Judicial Police managed, with the assistance of the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DST), to dismantle criminal networks active in the field of cross-border organized... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Morocco World News
38212
Saudi Arabia,Libya,India,Georgia,Egypt,Yemen,Vietnam,Turkey,Syria,Germany,Bahamas
Questions Asked Over Germany's Arms Exports
16 December 2013
Deutsche Welle
For a long time, arms exports to regions in conflict were taboo for the German government. However, the growing number of arms deals with Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia or Qatar, or with Asian countries like India and Indonesia suggests that these could soon become a pillar of German foreign and security policy.
This, at least, is the warning expressed in this year's weapons exports report published in Berlin on Monday (16.12.2013) by the Joint Church and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Deutsche Welle
38196
Netherlands,Spain,United Kingdom,Italy,United States,Belgium,Iraq,Algeria,Bahrain,Egypt,Mexico,Pakistan,Canada
Canada Increases Gun Exports to Countries with 'Dubious' Human Rights
8 December 2013
Toronto Star (Ontario) / Canadian Press
OTTAWA — Bahrain, Algeria and Iraq, countries with dubious human rights records or a history of violent internal conflict, have recently become new buyers of Canadian-made guns and ammunition, an analysis of federal data shows.
The analysis by The Canadian Press found that Canadian exports to those countries swelled by 100 per cent from 2011 to 2012, the most recent figures publicly available.
During the same time period, exports of Canadian weapons also increased... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Toronto Star (Ontario) / Canadian Press
38160
France,Tunisia
Traveller Arrested With Gun at Tunis Airport [FR]
25 November 2013
Business News (Tunis)
[Translated summary: A traveller from France was arrested at the Tunis-Carthage airport for possession of a firearm.]
Un voyageur en provenance de Paris vient d'être arrêté aujourd'hui, lundi 25 novembre 2013, à l'aéroport Tunis-Carthage pour possession d'armes, qu'il transporte dans une valise voyageant sur un autre vol.
Les autorités tunisiennes ont été informées par leurs homologues français de l'existence de cette valise, arrivée à Tunis sans son... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Business News (Tunis)
38116
Algeria
Concerns About Gun Trafficking in Algeria [FR]
17 November 2013
Le Temps d'Algérie
[Translated summary: There are concerns about arms trafficking in Algeria after recent seizures of rifles and ammunition.]
Faut-il s'inquiéter du fléau du trafic d'armes et de munitions en Algérie? A bien s'imprégner des statistiques révélées en la matière par la cellule de communication de la Gendarmerie nationale, la réponse à cette question ne pourrait être qu'affirmative.
Les arrestations d'individus pour détention illégale d'armes à feu sont légion.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Temps d'Algérie
38086
Greece,Sierra Leone,Libya,Ukraine
Ukraine Confirms Permit Issued for Guns Seized En Route to Libya
12 November 2013
Ukrainian Journal
KIEV – The State Service of Export Controls of Ukraine has confirmed the issuing of a one-time permit to Ukrspecexport subsidiary Ukrinmash State Enterprise for the supply of small arms ammunition to Libya, noting however that they have no information about the specific content of the military cargo on board of the Sierra Leone-flagged Nour M ship, which was detained in Greece.
"In 2013, after inter-agency coordination, the State Service of Export Control of Ukraine... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Ukrainian Journal
38077
Sierra Leone,Greece,Ukraine,Syria,Libya,Turkey
Greek Coastguard Halts Ship Carrying 20,000 Kalashnikovs
8 November 2013
Greek Reporter
According to sources, the cargo ship "nourm" flagged with Sierra Leone, transferred a large amount of weapons. It was identified yesterday evening near Imia and was escorted to the port of Symi this morning.
After an investigation, the cargo ship had troubled the authorities in the past for drug trafficking and when the port board appeared, changed its direction.
Eventually, the ship stopped and was led to the port of Symi, under the port escort. The ship had started... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Greek Reporter
38059
Sudan
Call for Disarmament After Sudanese Youth Found with Assault Weapons
7 November 2013
Sudan Tribune (France)
RUMBEK — Authorities in Lakes state's Yirol West county of reported that a series of firearms have been discovered in remote cattle camps occupied by pastoralist youth from the Apaak community.
Colonel Majak Ruei Angong warned that surprise disarmament could be ordered in all suspected payams and bomas (districts) around Yirol West county at "anytime".
He said intelligence currently being gathered, as well as information already obtained, confirms that pastoralist... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
38057
South Sudan,Somalia,Burundi,Liberia,Ghana,United States,Europe,Zimbabwe,Uganda,Tanzania,Sudan,Nigeria,Namibia,Kenya,Ethiopia,Africa
How Disarmament in Africa Got More Complicated
5 November 2013
IPI Global Observatory
Africa is ground zero in the international debate on controlling the small arms and light weapons trade. For more than a decade, diplomatic activity to contain arms and ammunition transfers has been animated by a concern with instability and contagion generated by the continent's many wars. Leading think tanks, research groups, and advocacy organizations have repeatedly drawn attention to the way the burden of armed violence in Africa is a product of low-tech assault... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IPI Global Observatory
38049
Oceania,Iran,North Korea,Congo (DRC),Sudan,Syria,Europe,United States,Asia,Africa,Americas
Editorial: Containing the Conventional Arms Trade
30 September 2013
New York Times, Editorial
Efforts to control the $70 billion a year global market in conventional weapons got a big boost when the United States signed the United Nations arms trade treaty, joining more than 100 other countries in affirming the need to keep these weapons out of the hands of unscrupulous regimes, militants and criminals.
But the work is far from done. At least 50 member countries, including the United States, must still carry out the next step and ratify the treaty for it to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
37934
Libya,Algeria,Tunisia
Tunisia, Algeria Work Together to Combat Gun Smuggling
25 September 2013
Magharebia (USA)
Terrorist groups are looking to profit from porous borders to smuggle weapons into Tunisia, local law agencies and international police organisations warn.
"Tunisia is living with the threat of the proliferation of weapons because it is a neighbour of Libya," Theoneste Mutsindashyak, the head of the Regional Centre on Small Arms, said at a recent Interpol conference in Algeria.
Tunisian Interior Minister Lotfi Ben Jeddou raised the same alarm to National Constituent... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Magharebia (USA)
37915
Malta,Libya
Licensed Maltese Gun Dealer Charged with Illegal Gun, Ammo Sales
23 September 2013
Tripoli Post (Libya)
A 31-year-old Libyan citizen from Tripoli married to a Maltese woman and residing in Malta, was Monday morning arraigned in court along with a Maltese man after 40,000 bullets were found in the Libyan's car on Saturday following weeks of surveillance by the Malta police.
The Libyan, Feraj Issa Ali Yacoob, and Michael Azzopardi, a 55-year old Maltese, appeared in court on charges of illegally selling ammunition to Libyan organisations when they knew or could suspect... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tripoli Post (Libya)
37923
Sudan,Germany
Germany Supports Marking, Registration of Guns in Sudan
18 September 2013
Sudan Vision Daily
KHARTOUM - German Embassy in Khartoum and the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) celebrated, here yesterday, receiving of support from the German Embassy that including equipment and technical systems to assist in the registration of arms in Darfur.
German Ambassador to Khartoum said that his country supports the efforts to achieve peace and security in Sudan. He praised the efforts of the DDR in supporting programmes of peace and stability, pointing... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Vision Daily
37887
Russia,Trinidad & Tobago,Caribbean,Nicaragua,United States,Canada,Guinea-Bissau,Libya,Mexico,Colombia
Small Arms: The Worldwide Scourge
8 September 2013
Newsday (Trinidad & Tobago)
Trinidad and Tobago is awash with guns. Gang leaders, bandits, drug smugglers are armed and shooting at each other, at citizens, at the police without hesitation. The majority of the weapons are small arms and they are usually "imported" with illegal drugs or there is an exchange of drugs for arms. Drug cartels use their illicit profits to purchase these guns, the two trades being intertwined, according to the latest report from the United Nations Office for Disarmament... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Newsday (Trinidad & Tobago)
37845
Sudan
Sudan Police Estimate Citizens Hold 20,000 Guns
6 September 2013
Radio Dabanga (Hilversum)
NYALA — The Chief of Police for South Darfur, has estimated that there are 20,000 weapons (firearms) in civilian hands in the state, and says he has even seen children carrying Kalashnikovs.
At a press conference in South Darfur capital Nyala on Friday, Major General Ahmed Osman Mohamed Khair that just on Thursday, he saw children carrying assault rifles.
Gen Khair said that the losses that occurred as a result of recent clashes between security forces and Abu Tira... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Radio Dabanga (Hilversum)
37849
Algeria
14-Year-Old Algerian Youth Dies From Celebratory Gunfire [FR]
24 August 2013
Tout Sur L'Algerie
[Translated summary: A 14-year-old Algerian youth died after he was fatally wounded by bullets at a family event. Unintentional deaths from celebratory shootings are not unusual.]
Une fête a tourné au drame dans un village de Tizi Ouzou. En effet, ce vendredi, un enfant de 14 ans a été mortellement atteint par balles d'une arme à feu lors d'une fête de circoncision à Tamaghoucht, dans la commune de Béni Aissi, à 20 km au sud de Tizi Ouzou, a-t-on appris ce... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tout Sur L'Algerie
37802
Libya,Algeria,Tunisia
Tunisian Police Seize Guns, Grenades in National Operation
21 July 2013
Xinhua
TUNIS - Tunisian anti-terrorist police have seized large quantities of weapons and ammunition in the capital Tunis as part of a nationwide operation, Mosaique FM reported on Sunday, quoting the Al Chourouk daily.
The report said the seized weapons, including guns and hand grenades, were found in a populous district of the capital and the towns of Nabeul and Le Kef, adding that the weapons were smuggled into Tunisia by a group of radical Islamists.
In a related event,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
37680
Libya,Syria,Turkey,Qatar,Russia
UNSC Asked to Probe Alleged Arms Supply from Libya to Syrian Rebels
5 July 2013
Xinhua
MOSCOW - Russia on Friday urged the UN Security Council (UNSC) to investigate media reports about illegal arms supply to the opposition in Syria.
"Russia applied to the UNSC Committee overseeing sanctions against Libya asking to initiate an investigation of the information (about alleged arms supply to the Syrian opposition from Libya)," the ministry said in an online statement.
It cited reports in western media that Libya has been supplying Syrian opposition with... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
37645
France,Syria,Germany,Libya,Qatar,Switzerland,United States
Is Anyone Counting the Guns in Syria?
18 June 2013
Pacific Standard (USA)
Last night, in a televised interview with Charlie Rose, President Obama made the case for arming anti-Assad forces in Syria. In part, Obama was responding to critics who claim the U.S. weapons, once released, will be hard to control.
Is that true? Scholars who study small arms proliferation have looked at the 2011 war in Libya as a guide and found evidence of illegal arms transfers and poor tracking of weapons. More than a year after the war ended, no overall... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pacific Standard (USA)
37590
Egypt
Egypt Govt Approves Draft Law to Address Police Shootings
15 June 2013
Aswat Masriya (Egypt)
Egypt's Cabinet has approved a draft law proposal carrying increased prison sentences for street crime offences and assaults on police officers.
The draft law, which was submitted to the Shura Council's Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee Saturday, assigns the death penalty for those convicted of forming street gangs to assault groups of citizens or resisting policemen with firearms.
The law also includes a new punishment of two years imprisonment and a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Aswat Masriya (Egypt)
37571
South Sudan,Sudan
Sudan Authorities Recover 500 Guns in Disarmament Campaign
12 June 2013
Sudan Tribune (France)
JUBA — Over 500 illegal firearms have been collected over the last week from civilians in Unity state's Koch, Rubkotna and Mayom counties, according to the military.
The commander of the fourth division of South Sudan's army - the SPLA - Maj Gen James Koang Chuol, told Sudan Tribune on Wednesday that disarmament exercise was ordered by governor, Taban Deng Gai, to address the deteriorating security situation in the three counties.
Over 22 people were killed in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
37561
Egypt
Egyptian Army Thwarts Gun Smuggling Attempt
11 June 2013
Aswat Masriya
Egypt's official army spokesman said on Tuesday that the military guards of the Western border were able to thwart an attempt to smuggle arms and drugs onto Egyptian soil near the Salloum port.
General Ahmed Aly added on his official Facebook page that forces confiscated four sacks that contained 10 machine guns among other arms and 50 kg of "hash".
He explained that the case has been presented to a special prosecutor in order to take all the necessary steps regarding... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Aswat Masriya
37560
Algeria
Four Dead and One Injured After Shooting in Algeria [FR]
5 June 2013
Tout Sur l'Algérie
[Translated summary: One person has been arrested after a shooting incident in Djelfa which resulted in four deaths and one person being injured.]
Quatre personnes ont été tuées et une autre a été grièvement blessée par arme à feu, mardi en milieu de journée, dans la commune de Hassi F'doul, située à 170 km au nord de Djelfa, rapporte, ce mercredi 5 juin, APS, citant une source sécuritaire.
Aussitôt son forfait accompli, le meurtrier, âgé de 39 ans,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tout Sur l'Algérie
37554
South Sudan,Sudan
Over 80 Guns Confiscated in Sudanese Disarmament Campaign
30 May 2013
Sudan Tribune (France)
BOR — The commissioner of South Sudan's police in Jonglei state has reported 85 AK47 rifles, 1 PKM machine guns and a number of pistols have been confiscated from civilians in a disarmament clampdown in Bor town on May 29.
"We targeted some residential houses in Bor, we searched for guns only but the our security forces had no problems with the people living here", General Majok Adol said.
Sources said the disarmament-targeted houses of the individuals who were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
37512
Saudi Arabia,Libya,Mexico,Germany
Weapons Exports Reveal Faults in German System
30 May 2013
Deutsche Welle
Germany prides itself on having "strict, even restrictive regulations" for the export of weapons of war. All the same, German weapons regularly show up in regions they should not be in.
For years, every single government coalition in Germany has stated that the country has particularly strict regulations for sales of weapons of war to foreign countries. Regularly, however, weapons used abroad but "made in Germany" get into the news. People are outraged when assault... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Deutsche Welle
37508
Syria,Malta,Libya,Turkey
Turkey Fights to Stem Arms Smuggling
27 May 2013
National (Abu Dhabi)
ISTANBUL - Turkish custom agents knew exactly what they were looking for when they searched the Libyan-flagged fishing vessel.
Thanks to a last-minute tip, what was supposed to be an empty cargo hold was discovered to be carrying almost 1,000 pump-action shotguns and more than 400 handguns.
"Arms and munitions were discovered on a ship bound for Libya on April 21 in Istanbul," a Turkish official said.
The discovery followed other major weapons seizures in the country... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: National (Abu Dhabi)
37497
Iraq,Egypt,Czech Republic
Czech Firm Wins Egyptian Tender for Pistols, Submachine Guns
23 May 2013
Xinhua
PRAGUE - Czech arms firm Ceska zbrojovka won an international tender to supply 50,000 pistols to the Egyptian interior ministry, company CEO Lubomir Kovarik said on Thursday.
Speaking at a defence industry trade fair in Brno, Kovarik said some of the firearms were sent to Egypt last week. The CZ P-07 Duty pistols are smaller than those supplied by Ceska zbrojovka to the Czech military and security forces.
The one-year contract will be followed by the supply of several... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
37482
Libya,Mexico,Germany
German Arms Firm Illegally Sold Weapons to Mexico
7 May 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
A German arms manufacturer has admitted to illegally selling thousands of rifles to Mexico, where the weapons were reportedly used to commit human rights violations.
Heckler & Koch, which produces weapons such as pistols, machine guns, and grenade launchers, is under investigation by German authorities for exporting G36 rifles to several Mexican states where Germany prohibits gun sales, due to human rights concerns.
The company previously claimed it had only ever... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37418
Yemen,Argentina,Costa Rica,Libya,Germany,United States,Brazil,Paraguay,Austria
Most Brazilian Guns Exported to US
29 April 2013
Folha de Sao Paulo
BRASILIA - The U.S., currently discussing restrictions on the sale of firearms, purchased 7.9 million guns from Brazil in the past 40 years, and 59% of those were exported during the Lula administration (2003-2010).
That is the result of a new study by the Army Command to which Folha had access through the Access to Information Act, with a detailed record of the sellers and buyers of 9.9 million revolvers, pistols, rifles and shotguns, among other weapons, exported... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Folha de Sao Paulo
37390
Mali,Algeria
Algeria Authorities Intercept Arms Being Smuggled to Mali
16 April 2013
Magharebia (USA)
Algerian security forces on Saturday (April 13th) intercepted an arms shipment from Libya to terrorists in northern Mali.
Special Forces eliminated five terrorists during the operation. They reportedly belonged to al-Qaeda splinter group Movement for Tawhid and Jihad in West Africa (MUJAO) and were in charge of protecting the arms shipment.
Wakt El Djazair quoted a security source as saying that a counter-terrorism military unit, supported by two helicopters, was able... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Magharebia (USA)
37333
Portugal,Libya,United States,Guinea-Bissau,Colombia
Alleged FARC Scheme Swapped Cocaine for West African Arms
12 April 2013
InSight Crime (Bogota)
An international police operation has dismantled a network in which Colombian rebel group the FARC allegedly attempted to exchange cocaine for weapons from the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau.
The investigation, involving US, Colombian, Portuguese, and Guinea-Bissau authorities, lasted over a year, reported EFE. Colombian police arrested two men in Bogota who are accused of serving as as the FARC's intermediaries for the West Africa-based weapons suppliers.
On... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
37314
South Africa,Haiti,South Sudan,Sierra Leone,Liberia,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Oceania,Southern Africa,Central America,East Asia,Southern Europe,Western Europe,North Africa,East Africa,South Asia,South America
Some 437,000 People Murdered Worldwide in 2012 - UNODC Study
10 April 2013
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Media release
VIENNA - Almost half a million people (437,000) across the world lost their lives in 2012 as a result of intentional homicide, according to a new study by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Launching the Global Study on Homicide 2013 in London today, Jean-Luc Lemahieu, Director for Policy Analysis and Public Affairs, said: "Too many lives are being tragically cut short, too many families and communities left shattered. There is an urgent need to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
38560
Sudan
Sudanese State Passes Firearms Law Requiring Citizens to Register Guns
10 April 2013
Sudan Tribune (France)
RUMBEK — The Lakes state Legislative Assembly on Wednesday passed a Firearm Bill which makes it compulsory to register all firearms and extends more powers to the state and county authorities to disarm any pastoralists who do not comply with the Bill or who are responsible for cattle raiding and other violence.
Twenty two lawmakers were absent from the parliament when the new law was passed. According to the assembly clerk, 7 MPs had been given official permission to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
37334
Niger,Algeria,Tunisia,Somalia,Chad,Palestine,Mali,Liberia,Egypt
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
India,Egypt,Russia,China
China Says UN Arms Treaty Lacks Consensus
3 April 2013
South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
There is no consensus on an international arms trade treaty, major weapons exporter China said on Wednesday, after it abstained as the UN General Assembly passed the measure by 154 votes to three.
The only votes against the first treaty on the conventional arms trade were from Syria, North Korea and Iran.
The 23 countries abstaining included Russia and China, ranked respectively as the number two and five weapons exporters by the Stockholm International Peace Research... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: South China Morning Post (Hong Kong)
37276
Sudan
Sudan Authorities Give Citizens a Week to Register Guns or Face Jail
22 March 2013
Sudan Tribune (France)
Rumbek — Lakes state's caretaker military governor, Maj-Gen Matur Chut Dhuol, has given owners of guns in Rumbek town seven days to register their firearms or face three years in prison.
The governor first announced the policy in February shortly after he was appointed, but until Friday he had not announced a deadline for the process.
Dhuol's initial call for registration was ignored by the majority of officials carrying arms in Rumbek.
Governor Dhuol registered... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
37220
Romania,Burkina Faso,Poland,Russia,Latvia,Tunisia,Guinea,Senegal,Bulgaria,China,Africa,Europe,Côte d'Ivoire
Arms Proliferation and Abuse Shatter Communities in Côte d'Ivoire - AI
20 March 2013
Amnesty International (London)
Reckless and illegal arms supplies from Europe, Africa and China to the warring parties in Côte d'Ivoire over the past decade continue to fuel grave human rights abuses and violent crime in the country, Amnesty International said in a detailed report launched at the United Nations (UN) headquarters.
The 33-page report, Communities shattered by arms proliferation and abuse in Côte d'Ivoire, documents how a handful of states and a network of multinational arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Amnesty International (London)
37206
India,Egypt,Syria,Russia,United States,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Urgent Call for Tighter Rules on International Arms Trade - Oxfam
12 March 2013
Oxfam International (Oxford), Media release
Draft Arms Trade Treaty text littered with loopholes which need fixing urgently to save lives
More than 325,000 people are estimated to have lost their lives through armed violence since negotiations for a treaty to regulate the global arms trade for the first time ground to a halt in July last year, say Oxfam and Saferworld, part of the Control Arms Coalition.
The Control Arms Coalition calls on world leaders to urgently adopt robust rules on international transfers... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Oxfam International (Oxford)
37183
Sudan,South Sudan
Sudanese Officials Call for Citizens to Disarm Voluntarily
2 March 2013
Sudan Tribune (France)
Bentiu — Local leaders in Unity state called for a new round of voluntarily civilian disarmament at a two-day conference in Bentiu last week to address the issue of violent crime and cattle raiding.
The conference, facilitated by the Conflict Mitigation and Stabilization Initiative (CMSI) brought chiefs, executives directors, civil society groups and police officers from Unity state's nine counties together to discuss how to persuade civilians to handover illegal... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
37136
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
Egypt
Egypt HR Group Worried Over Arms Imports for Police
17 February 2013
Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (Cairo), Media release
Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (EOHR) expresses worry for the official approval of General Mohamed Ibrahim, the Egyptian Minister of Interior, to import 100,000 guns for arming the police soldiers and non-commissioned officers to face the outlaws. The import approval was given on February 16, 2013.
Recently, the policemen went on a protest against the Egyptian Ministry of Interior calling for arming and enhancement of working environment following murdering a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Egyptian Organization for Human Rights (Cairo)
37076
Iran,Yemen,North Korea,Libya,Somalia,Africa
UN Monitors See Weapons in Somalia from Yemen, Iran
10 February 2013
Reuters
As the United States pushes for an end to the U.N. arms embargo on Somalia, U.N. monitors are reporting that Islamist militants in the Horn of Africa nation are receiving arms from distribution networks linked to Yemen and Iran, diplomats told Reuters.
The U.N. Security Council's sanctions monitoring team's concerns about Iranian and Yemeni links to arms supplies for al Shabaab militants come as Yemen is asking Tehran to stop backing armed groups on Yemeni soil. Last... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
37046
United States,Estonia,Finland,Colombia,South Africa,Sudan,Western Europe
13 Key Questions and Answers about US Gun Violence
4 February 2013
Atlantic (USA)
How much gun violence is there in the U.S.?
There were 8,583 homicides by firearms in 2011, out of 12,664 homicides total, according to the FBI. This means that more than two-thirds of homicides involve a firearm. 6,220 of those homicides by firearm (72%) are known to have involved a handgun.
It's worth noting that violent crime rates of all types have been steadily decreasing since the early 1990s. No one is quite sure what is causing this decrease, though there are... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Atlantic (USA)
37031
Egypt,Libya
Army Thwarts Attempt to Smuggle Arms into Egypt
30 January 2013
Aswat Masriya (Cairo)
Egypt's armed forces were able to successfully thwart an attempt to smuggle arms into Egypt from the western border shared with Libya on Wednesday.
The border-forces confiscated seven sacks that contained 47 machine guns among other arms, reported the official page of Egypt's army spokesman.
The defendants were referred to a prosecutor to act appropriately in accordance with the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Aswat Masriya (Cairo)
37006
Mali,Libya,United States,West Africa,Niger
Internationalist Blog: How Libyan Weapons Fueled Mali's Violence
29 January 2013
Council on Foreign Relations, Blog
The violence that has plagued once-stable Mali since late 2011 should have come as no surprise to Western governments, for it is a direct function of NATO's Libyan intervention. By adopting a "light footprint" approach in Libya, the alliance unwittingly contributed to a security vacuum that allowed countless weapons to stream out of Libya and fuel insurgency, extremism, and crime in neighboring countries. One of these countries was Mali, where the flood of weapons from... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Council on Foreign Relations
37001
Somalia,United States,Ethiopia,Yemen,Libya,Israel,European Union,East Africa,Kenya,Ukraine,Russia
Special Investigation: Lack of Gun Treaty Fuels Kenyan Smuggling Trade
9 January 2013
Star (Kenya)
Whether looking after his herd of cattle or taking them to the watering point, Boru hardly leaves his AK47 behind. He lives in the outskirts of Gambella village, a few kilometres from Isiolo town.
"It has become like a stick for me. I carry it around and my enemies fear me. It gives me more power than I had before I acquired it," Boru said.
Taking cover from the scorching sun under the shade of an old acacia tree, Boru, a father of three, told the Star he bought his... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Star (Kenya)
36922
Tunisia,Egypt,Qatar,United Arab Emirates,Kuwait,Bahrain,Oman,Iraq,Saudi Arabia,Yemen,Iran,United States
How US, Middle East Gun Laws Measure Up
19 December 2012
Al Arabiya (Dubai)
The fatal Dec. 14 shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut which claimed the lives of 28 people, including 20 innocent children under 10 once again brought to light the dilemma of gun ownership in the United States and despite the fact that it received no response from the gun rights advocates but a deafening silence, laid emphasis on the necessity for the United States to revise its gun policies.
The shooting rampage, in which a mentally... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Al Arabiya (Dubai)
36840
Egypt
Egypt Authorities Trace Firearms, Bullets to Protest Shooting
11 December 2012
Daily News (Egypt)
A leaked report from the state forensics authority suggests that weapons used to shoot protesters at the presidential palace clashes last Wednesday belonged to Muslim Brotherhood members.
Independent ONTV news channel reported Tuesday that the forensics laboratory had matched weapons confiscated during the arrest of Muslim Brotherhood members to bullets found in victims' bodies. The weapons captured included 9 mm, 5.5 mm and 6.35 mm firearms.
"Nine millimetre firearms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily News (Egypt)
36816
Somalia,South Africa,Côte d'Ivoire,Sudan,Zimbabwe,United States,China
China 'Aggressively' Supplying Africa With Guns, Military Equipment
28 November 2012
Global Post (Boston)
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — China's aggressive new strategy to sell weapons in Africa was on clear display at a recent defense exposition here.
The pavilion for Chinese manufacturers was among the three largest at the Africa Aerospace and Defense exhibition in September, surpassed only by host South Africa and the United States, the world's largest weapons maker by far.
Many of the made-in-China weapons touted by firms such as Norinco and Poly Technologies were... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Global Post (Boston)
36790
Egypt,Niger,Libya,Belgium,Mali,Palestine,Israel
Experts Suspect Belgian-Made Guns Trafficked from Libya to Gaza
19 November 2012
Foreign Policy
There's one big problem with small arms: They don't come with an expiration date. These reliable killing machines pass from dead soldiers to living insurgents, and from a country's armory to a militia's safe house thousands of miles away. As soon as weapons crates cross international borders, arms-producing countries lose control over where they head next - a fact on full display during recent conflicts across the Middle East, and now in the Gaza Strip.
On Nov. 17,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Foreign Policy
36756
North Africa,Libya,Mali,Egypt,Qatar
Concerns Over Weapons Availability, 'Gangster' Culture in Libya
14 November 2012
Qantara (Germany)
Market day in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi. In the old town quarter of Assabri, traders spread out their wares on folding tables and car bonnets: pistols, machine guns, grenades, ammunition. There's even the odd rocket-propelled grenade on offer. Potential buyers lug bags full of bundles of cash; Libya's largest banknote is the ten dinar note.
"Can I try it out?" asks a customer holding the hand of a small child, grabbing hold of an AK-47 and firing it into... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Qantara (Germany)
36747
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
Libya
Amnesty in Libya Collects Thousands of Guns, Military Weapons
2 October 2012
Magharebia (USA)
Libyans on Saturday (September 29th) began handing over thousands of guns, mortars, rockets and even tanks at a weapons collection drive in Benghazi and Tripoli.
In Benghazi, citizens turned out to celebrate the handover of weapons from revolutionaries to the national army at al-Tahrir Square.
They chanted slogans such as "No to armed manifestations in Benghazi!", "No to weapons all over Libya!", "Yes to the police and army!", and "We want security and safety away... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Magharebia (USA)
36695
Libya
Libyans Surrender Weapons, Ammo and Tank, in Disarmament Effort
30 September 2012
Magharebia (USA)
Libyans on Saturday (September 29th) gathered at collection points in Tripoli and Benghazi to give up their guns, grenades and rockets, AFP reported.
Following rallies which called for disarmament and the disbanding of militias, a steady stream of men surrendered their weapons to national army troops stationed in Tripoli's Martyrs Square and Benghazi's Freedom Square.
"We are astonished by the positive turn out," Colonel Hussein Abdullah Khalifa said.
Most people... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Magharebia (USA)
36602
Niger,Mali,Libya,Algeria
Algeria Authorities Thwart Arms Smuggling Across Libya Border
21 September 2012
Magharebia (USA)
Algerian security forces are struggling to cope with arms smuggling gangs that have stepped up their operations along the southern border, prompting the Algerian army to intensify its presence across some rugged border crossings currently exploited by smugglers.
Forces from the People's National Army in the border area adjacent to Libya recently succeeded in confiscating 32 weapons and 14,000 rounds of ammunition in one operation near Karat Alain, south of Djanet in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Magharebia (USA)
36584
Egypt
Egypt Announces New Gun Law, Amnesty for Unlicensed Weapons, Ammo
17 September 2012
Egypt State Information Service
President Mohamed Morsi will approve within few days a resolution law amending the law no. 384 of the year 1954 concerning weapons and ammunition after the cabinet under Prime Minster Hisham Qandil had agreed on it.
The amendments include exempting from punishment each one possesses firearms or ammunition without a license, if these weapons were delivered to any security directorate or department or police station within 180 days as of the amendments enter into... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Egypt State Information Service
36560
United States,United Kingdom,Libya,Sweden,Egypt,Bahrain
British MPs Say Arms Exports Need More Oversight
17 September 2012
Guardian (UK)
British arms exports should be subjected to prior scrutiny by MPs and the risk that the weapons could be used for internal repression must be assessed much more effectively than in the past, two leading members of Labour's shadow cabinet have told the Guardian.
A radical shift in Labour's policy on the arms trade, with tougher controls, and greater transparency and accountability, is spelt out by Douglas Alexander and Jim Murphy, the shadow foreign and defence... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
36559
Libya
Libyan Civilians at Risk from Guns, Mines Left After Conflict
14 September 2012
Inter Press Service News Agency
TRIPOLI - The revolution might officially be over in Libya but the ground war continues. But one enemy is motionless and often hidden, and Libyans are continuing to pay the price with hundreds maimed and killed.
"While the guns may have stopped, landmines, unexploded ordnance (UXO) and discarded or poorly-stored ammunition continue to pose a serious risk to life and limb of the civilian population and to hold potentially serious implications for international... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
36552
United Kingdom,Yemen,Egypt
Egypt Officials Let British Man with 'Bags Full of Weapons' Get on Plane
9 September 2012
Press TV (Egypt)
Officials at Cairo International Airport have surprisingly allowed a British man carrying four bags full of weapons to get on an airliner bound for the Yemeni capital Sana'a.
Metal detectors and X-ray scanners at the airport showed that the Briton had a large quantity of armaments, ranging from sniper rifles to ammunition, in his luggage, the Aden Press news website reported.
Although the security forces were immediately notified about the contents of the bags, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Press TV (Egypt)
36542
Tunisia,Yemen,United States,Japan
Land Without Guns: How Japan Has Virtually Eliminated Firearm Deaths
23 July 2012
Atlantic (USA)
I've heard it said that, if you take a walk around Waikiki, it's only a matter of time until someone hands you a flyer of scantily clad women clutching handguns, overlaid with English and maybe Japanese text advertising one of the many local shooting ranges. The city's largest, the Royal Hawaiian Shooting Club, advertises instructors fluent in Japanese, which is also the default language of its website. For years, this peculiar Hawaiian industry has explicitly targeted... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Atlantic (USA)
36376
Libya,Syria
The Increasing Cost of Black Market Guns in Syria
17 July 2012
New York Times, Blog
ISLAHIYE, Turkey — Abu Hamed, a former Syrian Army captain who is now a guerrilla commander fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, sat cross-legged in a tent in a refugee camp this week, echoing one of the Syrian opposition's most common complaints. "We need weapons," he said. "All kinds of weapons."
And then, as the conversation deepened and tea flowed, he spoke of prices. Mr. Hamed leads a battalion near Aleppo. The demand for weapons on his turf is so... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
36346
South Africa,United States,Russia,United Kingdom,China,France,Germany,Liberia,South Sudan,Algeria,Egypt,Iran,Venezuela,West Africa,Africa,Angola
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
Algeria
Algiers Police Officers Charged with Gun Theft [FR]
9 July 2012
El Watan (Algiers)
[Translated summary: Forteen people, including twelve police officers, appeared before the Criminal Court of Algiers for their involvment in the theft of 31 firearms (handguns, shotguns, hunting rifles at the Police Headquarters between 2006 and 2007.]
Après le réquisitoire du parquet et les nombreuses plaidoiries, le verdict de cette affaire devait être connu hier, tard dans la soirée.
Quatorze personnes, dont douze policiers, ont comparu, hier, devant le... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Watan (Algiers)
36312
Russia,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,United States,Syria,Egypt,China,United Kingdom
UK to Push for Ammunition Control in Arms Trade Treaty
28 June 2012
Independent (UK) / Press Association (UK)
Britain is to push for ammunition sales to be covered by new international arms trade controls despite strong resistance from the US.
The UK sees the inclusion of ammunition as an essential element of the proposed Arms Trade Treaty and will negotiate hard for it when a month-long conference opens at the United Nations in New York next week.
But the British delegation faces opposition from a number of countries including China, Egypt and Syria but also its traditional... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent (UK) / Press Association (UK)
36286
Sudan
11,000 Illegal Firearms Collected in Jonglei State - Sudan Army
28 June 2012
Sudan Tribune (France)
JUBA — The Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) deputy head of logistics and commander of Jonglei disarmament, Kuol Deim Kuol, announced during an interview with Sudan Tribune that more 11,000 illegal firearms have been collected in Jonglei since the South Sudan president, Salva Kiir inaugurated it in February.
Kuol said that up to 90 percent of the civil firearms were transported to Juba, to be stored in SPLA general head quarters store. He also said "we managed to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
36285
United Kingdom,Germany,Ukraine,Sudan,China,South Sudan
Amnesty Accuses Sudan, China, Ukraine of Fueling Conflict in South Sudan
27 June 2012
Sudan Tribune (France)
JUBA — Amnesty International on Thursday accused China, Sudan and Ukraine of allegedly supplying military weapons to both South Sudanese Armed Forces (SPLA) and opposition groups, triggering scores of indiscriminate attacks in parts of South Sudan.
The organization, in its latest report, entitled South Sudan: Arms supplies fueling violations in forgotten conflict, examines the impact of responsible supplies and misuse of weapons, munitions and armaments that resulted... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
36281
Syria,Russia,Africa,China,India,Pakistan,European Union,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,Congo (DRC),Sudan,Chad,Colombia
NGOs Set Minimum Specifications for Arms Trade Treaty [FR]
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
Sierra Leone,Yemen,Syria,Algeria,Iran,Somalia,China,Belarus,Italy,Germany,Bulgaria,Austria,Russia,Tunisia,United Kingdom,United States,Qatar,Sudan,Africa,Libya,Egypt,France
An Arms Buyback for Libya? – Analysis
9 June 2012
Eurasia Review (EU/Asia)
The Libyan civil war of early 2011 was one of the bloodiest conflicts in recent history, with an estimated 30,000 killed and 50,000 injured. While Muammar Gaddafi's death marked a watershed moment in Libyan history, the months of frenzied violence that preceded it saw a massive buildup of arms and munitions in the country. In the months leading up to and after his fall, Gaddafi's arms warehouses all across the country became unsecured; such was the level of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Eurasia Review (EU/Asia)
36228
Egypt
Egyptian Police Find Prohibited Firearms, Ammunition
4 June 2012
Egypt Independent
Authorities found a large amount of ammunition, heavy-weapon projectiles and rocket-propelled grenades on a mountainous route in Fayed, located northeast of Cairo.
Fayed Investigation Police Department had received information that a group of Bedouin men had prohibited firearms and ammunition that they hid in the Desert Mountains, according to an Interior Ministry statement released Monday.
Two rocket-propelled grenade shells, 44 bullets for a Belgian-made automatic... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Egypt Independent
40649
Libya,Egypt
Egyptian Police Find Prohibited Firearms, Ammunition Northeast of Cairo
4 June 2012
Egypt Independent
Authorities found a large amount of ammunition, heavy-weapon projectiles and rocket-propelled grenades on a mountainous route in Fayed, located northeast of Cairo.
Fayed Investigation Police Department had received information that a group of Bedouin men had prohibited firearms and ammunition that they hid in the Desert Mountains, according to an Interior Ministry statement released Monday.
Two rocket-propelled grenade shells, 44 bullets for a Belgian-made automatic... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Egypt Independent
36220
Libya,Iraq,Eastern Europe,West Asia,North Africa
International Forum in Erbil, Kurdistan Addresses Spread of Small Arms
30 May 2012
Rudaw (Kurdistan)
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—More than twenty parliamentarians from North Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe took part in a conference in Erbil on Sunday about the social and political effects of small arms, and ways to combat its proliferation.
The conference, officially titled the "Parliamentary Seminar on Controlling Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons," was organized by the Swedish global network the Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms and Light... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Rudaw (Kurdistan)
36193
France,United Kingdom,Somalia,Afghanistan,Egypt,Syria,United States,Africa
Excluding Ammunition from Arms Trade Treaty 'Totally Irrational' - Oxfam
30 May 2012
Oxfam International (Oxford), Media release
Excluding ammunition from new international Arms Trade Treaty would be "totally irrational"
Global sales of ammunition are worth more than $4 billion and are growing at a faster rate than trade in guns, yet there is virtually no regulation in place to control where the bullets end up, according to international agency Oxfam, in a new report today.
The report, 'Stop a Bullet, Stop a War,' has been published ahead of this summer's Arms Trade Treaty negotiations in New... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Oxfam International (Oxford)
36192
United States,France,United Kingdom,China,Pakistan,Venezuela,Cuba,Iran,Algeria,Egypt,Russia,Syria,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
New Global Arms Treaty Must Set Tough, Legally Binding Rules - Oxfam
29 May 2012
Chicago Tribune / Reuters
LONDON - States must set legally binding global rules on weapon and ammunition sales, aid agency Oxfam said on Tuesday, ahead of a United Nations summit to agree an arms treaty to prevent arms reaching human rights violators.
Citing the example of Syria, which has continued to receive arms shipments even as it is accused of killing more than 9,000 civilians in a crackdown on a popular uprising, Oxfam said it is vital that regulations on weapons sales are... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Chicago Tribune / Reuters
36186
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
Africa,Sudan
Control Strategies of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Africa - Analysis
22 May 2012
Sudan Vision Daily, Opinion
Introduction
Most of the definitions of small arms and light weapons agree that they are the personal arms used by an individual person of a less than one hundred millimeter caliber. The extensive proliferation of the illegal small arms and light weapons is considered among the greatest challenges facing most of the African states.
The threats of the small illegal arms are not only confined to the security aspect, rather they go beyond that to extended effects on the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Vision Daily
36158
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
United States,Egypt
Man Who Began Smuggling 1,000 Guns to Egypt Arrested in Florida
16 May 2012
Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
Federal authorities arrested a man in Orlando this week who allegedly told an undercover agent that he wanted to smuggle up to 1,000 firearms to Egypt.
Gamel Saad was arrested following a sting Monday. According to a criminal complaint, Saad bought three handguns from an undercover agent, wrapped them in towels, and put them inside a shipment of car parts he was sending to Egypt.
Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives began investigating... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Orlando Sentinel (Florida)
36130
Belgium,Morocco
Morocco Breaks Up Terrorist Cell, Stops Related Gun Trafficking [FR]
13 May 2012
Le Matin (Morocco)
[Translated summary: On Saturday, the chief of the national police brigade during the presentation of seized firearms, said to the press that the dismantling last saturday of a terrorist cell that was active in several cities of the Kingdom, directed by an influential member of the terrorist organisation called "movement of the moudjahidines in Morocco, led to the arrest of 15 people and the seizure of several firearms. He further indicated that these firearms had been... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Matin (Morocco)
36129
Senegal,Tunisia,Latvia,France,Romania,Mali,Guinea,Ghana,Europe,Africa,Côte d'Ivoire,Belarus
Belarus FM Denies Reports of Illegal Arms Transfers to Côte d'Ivoire
20 April 2012
Telegraf (Belarus)
Spokesman for the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Andrei Savinykh denied reports of arms shipments to Côte d'Ivoire in violation of the UN sanctions. "It's not even an accusation; it's a clumsy attempt of individual journalists to muddy the waters, as the proverb says," he said.
"The Belarusian side has been always cooperating openly with experts from the UN Security Council Committee on Côte d'Ivoire, whose reports these pseudo-journalists referred to. If they really... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Telegraf (Belarus)
36051
Sudan
Cattle Herders Avoiding Disarmament in South Sudan for Fear of Attacks
17 April 2012
Sudan Tribune (France)
JUBA — South Sudan's army (SPLA) says that some Murle cattle herders are avoiding handing over their weapons to the military as part of a statewide disarmament campaign in Jonglei following severe violence earlier this year.
The SPLA captain responsible for disarmament in the Anyidi area, Philip Bol Akuei, said that reports of Murle raiders were reaching his forces but poor roads and the distances involved means that they are not mobile enough to respond.
Some... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
36050
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
Qatar,East Africa,Russia,North Korea,China,West Asia,North Africa,Syria,Mali,Libya,Belgium,West Africa
Small Arms Manufactured in Belgium Proliferate in Libya, Mali [FR]
11 April 2012
L'Express (France) / AFP
[Translated summary: Notwithstanding risks of proliferation, small arms manufactured in Belgium circulate in Libya, Mali, and maybe tomorrow in Syria? Belgium is the biggest european exporter of small arms: in 2010, 32% of european exports of small arms to Middle East and North Africa came from this country.]
Malgré les mises en garde à Bruxelles sur les risques de prolifération, les armes légères fabriquées en Belgique circulent de la Libye au Mali. Et demain,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: L'Express (France) / AFP
36014
West Asia,North Africa,South America,Africa,United States,Russia
Russian Arms Dealer Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison by US Judge
5 April 2012
New York Times / Reuters
NEW YORK - Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer caught in an undercover sting by U.S. agents posing as Colombian guerrillas seeking weapons, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Thursday by a U.S. judge in New York.
Bout, who was the subject of a book titled "Merchant of Death," asserted his innocence during the sentencing, telling the judge through a Russian interpreter, "I never intended to kill anyone. I never intended to sell arms to anyone. God knows this... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times / Reuters
36000
Belgium,Libya,Syria,North Africa,West Asia,Africa,Palestine,Ireland,East Africa,Europe
Special Report on Belgian Arms Exports in Middle East and North Africa - Blog
5 April 2012
New York Times, Blog
The uprisings in Libya and Syria have cast the Belgian small arms industry as a case study of the difficult balances within a Western arms-manufacturing community that seeks exports to preserve revenue and local jobs, but risks compromising European policies and human rights values.
Belgium is one of Europe's busiest exporters of small arms and light weapons. As late as 2010, the last year for which publicly released data is available, 32 percent of the small-arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
35992
Sudan
More Arms Flowing into Sudan, S. Sudan - Report from Small Arms Survey
4 April 2012
Voice of America
JUBA - A new report shows more weapons flowing into the hands of rebel militias in Sudan and South Sudan in the past year. The development threatens to increase tensions between two countries that have clashed repeatedly since the south declared independence last year.
The report published Friday by the Small Arms Survey, an organization monitoring the flow of weapons in the region, says funding is coming from both countries and putting more weapons in the hands of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Voice of America
35986
China,Sudan
Guns Used by South Sudanese Ethnic Militia Came from Army and Rebels
23 March 2012
Pretoria News (South Africa) / AFP
Guns and ammunition used by a South Sudanese ethnic militia that massacred a rival group earlier this year came from both the army and a rebel group, a report said on Thursday.
Beginning late December a marauding column of some 8 000 armed youths from the Lou Nuer people marched on the remote town of Pibor, home to the rival Murle, whom they blame for cattle raiding and have vowed to exterminate.
Analysis by the Small Arms Survey, a Swiss-based research group,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pretoria News (South Africa) / AFP
35946
Panama,Liberia,Oman,Yemen,Egypt,Saudi Arabia,Mauritius,Seychelles,Mongolia,Djibouti,Madagascar,United Arab Emirates,United Kingdom,Somalia,Kenya
Anti-piracy Security Firms Keep Guns in Floating Armouries to Avoid Law
22 March 2012
Associated Press
NAIROBI, Kenya — Private security firms are storing their guns aboard floating armories in international waters so ships that want armed anti-piracy guards for East Africa's pirate-infested waters can cut costs and circumvent laws limiting the import and export of weapons, industry officials say.
Companies and legal experts say the operation of the armories is a "legal gray area" because few, if any, governments have laws governing the practice. Some security... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
35956
Sudan,Syria,Russia,China,Papua New Guinea,Fiji,Oceania
Pacific Nations Push for Global Arms Trade Treaty to Curb Gun Trade
19 March 2012
ABC News (Australia), Transcript
Every year illicit trade in small arms results in thousands of deaths. Most of them in developing countries, including the Pacific, where the impact of gun violence has been devastating.
Now the international community is to meet at the United Nations to finalise the first ever global arms trade treaty.
HELEN HAKENA, WOMEN'S RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER: I was seven months pregnant when gunmen came into our village terrorising the entire village community. My house was burnt to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: ABC News (Australia)
35944
Sudan
South Sudan Vice President Stressed the Importance of Firearm Safe Storage
19 March 2012
Government of South Sudan (Juba), Media release
JUBA — The Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan Hon. Dr. Riek Machar Teny has stressed the importance of safe storage of firearms and ammunition in the country if people are to minimise the dangers associated with poor storage of arms and ammunitions.
In his opening remarks at a one-day workshop on the management of arms and ammunitions at Home and Away Business Centre organised by the Bureau of Small Arms Control, Dr. Machar said that the workshop has come... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Government of South Sudan (Juba)
35924
Sudan
More than 2,000 Arms Collected in Jonglei Capital Bor, South Sudan
15 March 2012
Citizen (Juba)
JUBA — On the first day of disarmament exercise in Jonglei State, more than 2,000 arms have been reported collected only in state capital Bor, the SPLA spokesperson Colonel Philip Aguer Panyang reported yesterday.
"The disarmament started last Tuesday within Boma and Bor Town with over 2,000 arms collected only in Bor alone," Aguer mentioned.
He added that 3,000 SPLA soldiers have been stationed in Bor to participate in the operation of collecting guns from the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Citizen (Juba)
35912
Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,Somalia,United States,Russia,Egypt,Iran,Pakistan
A 'Bulletproof' Arms Trade Treaty Could Slow the Global Flow of Guns
8 March 2012
MediaGlobal News (New York)
Every day, according to Amnesty International, thousands of people are killed, injured, raped, and forced to flee from their homes as a result of armed conflict, armed violence, and human rights violations and abuses perpetrated using conventional arms.
As violence continues unchecked around the world, a coalition of humanitarian and health organizations is rallying support for a "bulletproof" global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), to be discussed in July, that would stymie... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: MediaGlobal News (New York)
35894
Nepal,Myanmar,Sri Lanka,Bangladesh,Mauritius,Libya,Morocco,Saudi Arabia,Iran,Turkey,Thailand,Indonesia,Malaysia,France,China,United States,Pakistan
Pakistan Has Achieved Self Sufficiency in Small Arms and Ammunition
5 March 2012
Indian Defence Review
After partition, Pakistan did not inherit any military production facilities. In 1951, the Pakistan Ordnance Factory was established at Wah cantonment to produce small arms, ammunition and explosives. After 1965, Pakistan, apart from shifting its overwhelming arms supplies reliance from the US to China and other western countries like France; also began to concentrate on expanding its defence production facilities. In this, it received effusive assistance from... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Indian Defence Review
35895
Libya,Egypt
Gun Smuggling into Egypt from Libya Increases, 576 Weapons Seized
5 March 2012
Associated Press
CAIRO — The number of weapons smuggled into Egypt across the Libyan border is on the increase, with thousands of weapons flooding into the country, security officials said on Monday.
They said residents of southern Egypt, where extended families often accumulate large arsenals to protect property and settle feuds, are the main buyers.
The officials said 576 weapons including modern sniper rifles were seized by police in the last three months in the Egyptian oasis of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
35890
Sudan
South Sudan Army Ready to Conduct a Gun Amnesty Amongst Civilians
5 March 2012
Sudan Tribune (France)
JUBA — The South Sudan army, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) has announced its readiness to conduct the "peaceful" collection of illegal arms from the civil population across the country but primarily in Jonglei, Unity, Lakes and Warrap states; all of which have recently been subject to increased tribal conflict.
Majak D' Agoot, South Sudan's deputy defence minister, said the SPLA has the mandate to remove arms from the hands of the unauthorised civil... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
35889
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
Tunisia
Illegal Arms Trade, Smuggling in Tunisia Shaken [FR]
28 February 2012
Africa Time / La Presse
[Translated summary: Illegal arms trade in Tunisia coming to an end? Apparently yes. Indeed, past weeks have seen many gun smuggling rings dismantled by Tunisia law enforcement.]
Les coups de filet, de plus en fréquents ces jours-ci, ont mis à mal le trafic, jusqu'ici prospère, des armes. Mais gare au triomphalisme…
Le trafic des armes en Tunisie commence-t-il vraiment à s'essouffler ? Est-il en train de perdre du terrain? Et puis, question capitale, est-on... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Africa Time / La Presse
35866
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 [FR]
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
Egypt,Mexico,Iran,United States,Syria,Russia,China,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Collapse of UN Arms Trade Treaty Talks Narrowly Averted - Reuters
17 February 2012
Reuters
UNITED NATIONS - Negotiators on Friday narrowly averted the collapse of talks on a world arms trade treaty to regulate the $55 billion global weapons market, agreeing on ground rules for negotiations after days of procedural wrangling.
Delegates and advocates for tougher oversight of global arms sales said the agreement set the stage for a monthlong conference in July to draft the treaty.
Arms control campaigners say one person every minute dies as a result of armed... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
35841
Sudan,China,Egypt,Bahrain,Libya,Germany,United Kingdom,Russia,United States,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
At Last, the World Acts to Control Global Arms Trade, UN Talks Begin this Week
12 February 2012
Independent (Dublin)
The global arms trade, which produces two bullets for every person on the planet every year and the weapons that kill 1,500 people each day, is facing the first worldwide effort to control it. An unprecedented treaty that would attempt to restrict arms sales is expected to be drawn up at talks in the United Nations this week.
A campaign for such an agreement, begun six years ago by Nobel laureates, faces attempts by the United States and Russia to water the treaty... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent (Dublin)
35825
Syria,Russia,China,Sudan
Russia, China Provide Guns to Violate Human Rights in Darfur - Amnesty
9 February 2012
Reuters
LONDON - Russian and Chinese arms are being used to violate human rights in Darfur region in breach of an "ineffectual" United Nations embargo, Amnesty International said on Thursday.
Amnesty said Russia and China are supplying weapons to Sudan's government despite evidence they are being used against civilians in Darfur, where the U.N. estimates as many as 300,000 people have died since 2003 from violence, hunger or disease.
"China and Russia are selling arms to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters
35812
Algeria
Algeria: 293,000 Guns Seized in the 90s, Owners Want them Back [FR]
30 January 2012
El Watan (Alger)
[Translated summary: Hundreds of owners of shotguns, which were confiscated in the early years of terrorism in Algeria, demand that their property be returned.]
Les propriétaires des fusils de chasse confisqués au début des années du terrorisme, en 1993 dans la wilaya de Bouira, sont revenus, hier, à la charge, en organisant un sit-in suivi d'une marche.
Plus de 400 personnes, dans la plupart des paysans, venues des quatre coins de la wilaya, se sont donné... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Watan (Alger)
35786
Thailand,Malaysia,Indonesia,Kuwait,Qatar,Mexico,Peru,Venezuela,Colombia,Bolivia,Somalia,Nepal,Oman,Latvia,Mauritius,Guyana,Congo (DRC),Bosnia & Herzegovina,Saudi Arabia,Liberia,Kazakhstan,Singapore,Dominican Republic,Jordan,Trinidad & Tobago,United Arab Emirates,Guatemala,Honduras,Chile,Ecuador,Argentina,Zimbabwe,Zambia,Uganda,Tanzania,Senegal,Congo (ROC),Nigeria,Niger,Namibia,Morocco,Mauritania,Malawi,Côte d'Ivoire,Egypt,Burkina Faso,Brazil,Tunisia,Sri Lanka,Pakistan,Philippines,Yemen,United States,Italy,Germany,Israel,Austria,Russia,Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,South Africa,Algeria,Angola,Botswana,Ghana,Guinea,Madagascar
Brazilian Gun Industry Seeks New Markets: Africa and Asia [PT]
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
Sudan
South Sudan Disarmament Condemned by Civilians, Resulted in Insecurity
21 January 2012
Sudan Tribune (France), Opinion
It is extremely appalling to continually see the killing going on unabated in Duk Padiet for two consecutive weeks. The media puts death toll at 89. All these deaths are due to orchestrated violence by human action. It seems there is no immediate government gangbuster amelioration in sight for the people of Dukein who have been rendered defenceless through the disarmament process that took place in the area prior to independence. One thought such a bold move by the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
35760
Sudan
Amnesty in South Sudan, Civilians Urged to Handover their Guns
16 January 2012
Sudan Tribune (France)
BENTIU - Forces from South Sudan's army, Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), have begun a disarmament campaign in Unity state's volatile Mayom County where rebels have been fighting the government.
The South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA) began it's rebellion early last year vowing to overthrow the Juba government because of its corruption, tribalism and nepotism.
On Monday Mayom's Commissioner, Martin Machot Deng, warned citizens through state radio Bentiu FM 99 to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
35744
Europe,Tunisia
Import Network of Guns between Europe and Tunisia Dismantled [FR]
13 January 2012
Business News (Tunis)
Un réseau d'importation d'armes à feu et de munitions en provenance de l'Europe a été découvert et démantelé par la brigade de lutte anti-terroriste, selon une déclaration de Moez Mhadhbi, chef du service de la lutte anti-terroriste, vendredi 13 janvier 2012 à Mosaïque Fm.
Le réseau était implanté à travers le pays. Les armes, qui étaient distribuées, dans plusieurs endroits à travers la Tunisie, ont été saisies. Plusieurs individus impliqués, et... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Business News (Tunis)
35734
Niger,Algeria
Algeria Seizes 100 Assault Rifles, Submachine Guns Near Niger Border
5 January 2012
Magharebia (USA)
ANP soldiers intercepted a four-vehicle convoy of arms smugglers near the Niger border, the Algerian defence ministry announced Wednesday (January 4th).
"Individuals from different African nations… were trying to bring through a big cargo of arms and ammunition," APS quoted the ministry as saying about the Tuesday operation.
More than 100 assault rifles and submachine guns, two RPG-7 rocket launchers and other weapons were seized, the ministry said, without... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Magharebia (USA)
35716
Egypt
Arms Suppliers Urged to End Transfers of Small Arms to Egypt Army - AI
19 December 2011
Bikya Masr (Egypt)
Global arms suppliers must halt the transfer of small arms, ammunition and other repressive equipment to the Egyptian military and security forces, Amnesty International said today after the army again violently dispersed protests in Cairo.
The organization condemned the excessive use of force against protesters and called for a cessation of all transfers of small arms, light weapons and related munitions and equipment to Egypt, as well as a halt to all internal... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Bikya Masr (Egypt)
35684
Algeria,Libya
Libyan Arms Smugglers Arrested in Algeria [FR]
13 December 2011
El Khabar (Algeria)
[Translated summary: Algeria forces arrested 7 Libyans, claiming to be insurgents, for illegal smuggling of an important load of arms, including semi-automatic firearms, rocket launcher and rockets.]
Déclarant être des insurgés et qui s'étaient égarés près de la vile libyenne de Ghat
7 libyens en possession d'une cargaison d'armes arrêtés par les unités de l'ANP à Djanet
Les unités de l'ANP ont intercepté dans la nuit de dimanche à Lundi deux 4x4... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Khabar (Algeria)
35665
Libya
Libyan Civilians Hold On to a Deadly Legacy: Assault Rifles, Machine Guns
7 December 2011
New York Times
MISURATA, Libya — On the night that he was to die, Hassan Nahassi should have been safe.
It was Oct. 20. A middle-age man turned Libyan rebel commander, Mr. Nahassi had returned home in the evening, leaving behind the front lines of Surt for a reprieve from the fighting. He wanted to rest with his wife and children.
Then came the news. Muatassim el-Qaddafi, a son of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, had been captured on the front that Mr. Nahassi had left only hours... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
35640
Libya
Lockdown in Tripoli as Libyan Leaders Demand Civilians Give Up Guns
7 December 2011
Bloomberg (USA)
Tripoli was placed under a security lockdown as the governing National Transitional Council sought to impose control over local militias and demanded that residents give up their weapons by the end of the month.
Side streets were closed and armed security units set up checkpoints on main roads in the Libyan capital in the most extensive security operation in the city since Muammar Qaddafi was toppled and Tripoli fell to revolutionary forces in August. Prime Minister... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Bloomberg (USA)
35630
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
France,Eastern Europe,Libya
3% of 3,500 Guns Seized in France Are Automatic Assault Rifles [FR]
29 November 2011
Europe 1
[Translated Summary: French police seized 3,500 weapons since the beginning of the year, 3% of which were automatic rifles. In Eastern Europe, an AK-47 costs some hundred Euros, but once in France, it costs around 2,000 to 3,000 Euros.]
Decryptage - Les armes automatiques circulent illégalement. D'où viennent-elles, qui les utilisent ?
Deux fusillades meurtrières en moins de 24 heures à Marseille. Et par deux fois, les malfaiteurs ont tiré à l'arme de guerre, en... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Europe 1
35592
Libya,North Africa,Tunisia
Alarming UN Report Highlights Proliferation of Weapons in Libya
27 November 2011
Tunisia Live (Tunis)
Since the Libyan Revolution an alarming number of loose weapons have saturated Libyan society, according to a recent report issued by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon.
Many weapons warehouses holding a wide variety of illicit firearms have been discovered all over Libya. The weapons include antipersonnel weapons, mines, bombs or heavy weapons such as the antiaircraft cannons which threaten the civil air navigation. The report also stated that Libya "has accumulated the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tunisia Live (Tunis)
35599
Sudan
South Sudan Government in Fresh Battle to Disarm Civilians
27 November 2011
Radio Netherlands / ANP / AFP
One of Africa's longest-running wars left this land in ruins and battling a bitter legacy that threatens prospects for peace -- a stockpile of weapons spurring cattle raids and banditry.
After seceding from the north in July, South Sudan begun a clean-up to rid civilians of arms taken up during the brutal two-decade civil war with the Khartoum army in the north.
But despite the efforts, many continue to live in fear of rampant livestock theft committed by men who... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Radio Netherlands / ANP / AFP
35589
Egypt
Fearing Armed Violence, Egyptians Steal 80,000 Guns from Police Stations
25 November 2011
IRIN (UN News)
CAIRO - It took Ahmed Fawzi, a College of Islamic Studies graduate, only a few hours after seeing a man robbed and killed by a group of criminals to buy a gun.
"I just did not want to be killed like this innocent man," Fawzi, 26, told IRIN. "My father died years ago and I am responsible for defending my family in the absence of all types of security."
Egyptians are discovering the need to defend themselves, in the wake of the uncertainty and insecurity following the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
35586
Libya
Handicap International Graffiti Contest Promotes Gun Control in Libya
21 November 2011
Tripoli Post (Libya)
The Saturday forecast warned of a rainy November afternoon - a crowd gathered nonetheless at the Tashkil Libya Al-Hurra Brigade in Keesh for one of Benghazi's first ever formal graffiti contests organised by French NGO Handicap International to raise awareness of the dangers posed by small arms and light weapons.
However, for many of the young contestants it was as much an opportunity for personal expression, as it was about tackling one of Libya's most pressing... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tripoli Post (Libya)
35561
Libya,United States,Europe,France,Niger,Mali,Chad,Ukraine,China,North Africa
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
Algeria,France,Mauritania,Mali,Israel,Egypt,United States,West Africa,Niger,North Africa,Libya
Smuggled Libyan Arms Threaten to Destabilise Swath of African Continent
12 November 2011
Wall Street Journal
Weapons smuggled from Libya after the collapse of Moammar Gadhafi's government are flowing through the surrounding region, the president of the west African nation of Niger said Friday, a development that threatens to destabilize a swath of the continent already struggling against ethnic unrest and a regional branch of al Qaeda.
"Arms were stolen in Libya and are being disseminated all over the region," President Mahamadou Issoufou told reporters following a meeting... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Wall Street Journal
35536
Libya,Mexico,Germany
Assault Weapon Bribery Probe: Gun Maker Heckler & Koch Raided Again
10 November 2011
Associated Press
BERLIN — Some 300 police officers searched the headquarters of Heckler & Koch Thursday amid allegations the German arms maker bribed Mexican officials to boost its sales, prosecutors said.
The firm is under investigation on suspicion that it "bribed officials in Mexico using cash payments for several years" in connection with arms deliveries between 2005 and 2010, Stuttgart prosecution spokeswoman Claudia Krauth said.
A spokeswoman for Heckler & Koch GmbH confirmed... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
35530
Sudan
2,000 Arms Collected in Sudan During Disarmament Programmes
8 November 2011
Sudan Tribune (France)
LONDON — The Cueibet county commissioner has told the media that the Lakes state disarmament programme that began in September will begin its next phase after the completion of phase two on 3 November.
On 5 November commissioner Isaac Mayom Malek told Good News Radio that the next phase will involve the confiscation of arms in the possession of those who retained illegal firearms in the previous phases.
Malek disclosed that since 768 firearms have recently been... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
35541
Sudan
South Sudan's Army to Begin Disarming Civilians in Unity State
2 November 2011
Sudan Tribune (France)
RUMBEK - South Sudan's army has begun deploying two battalions to carry out a disarmament campaign in Unity state this week.
Since a 2005 peace deal that led the South Sudan's independence in July this year, former rebels, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), have been the official army of the region.
Despite hostilities with north Sudan ending six years ago South Sudan remains insecure with various rebels groups and local people carrying weapons.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
35500
North Africa,West Asia,South America,Africa,Thailand,Colombia,United States
Global Gun Runner, 'Merchant of Death' Viktor Bout Swiftly Convicted
2 November 2011
BBC News
A former Soviet military officer has been found guilty in a New York court of attempting to sell heavy weapons to a Colombian rebel group.
Prosecutors said Viktor Bout, 44, who has been dubbed the merchant of death, stood to make millions from supplying weapons to the group.
The defence argued Bout had only wanted to sell two cargo planes.
He was arrested in Bangkok in 2008 after a sting operation in which US informants posed as Colombian rebels.
He remained in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
35497
South America,Central America,Caribbean,Central Africa,El Salvador,Iraq,Jamaica,Colombia,Sri Lanka,Central African Republic,Sudan,Congo (DRC),Mexico
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
North Africa,East Africa,Rwanda
Rwanda Government Steps Up War Against Illegal Small Arms
28 October 2011
New Times (Rwanda)
In a bid to implement the international declarations and protocols that call upon states to adopt measures to fight against the proliferation of illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), Rwanda on Wednesday officially launched its National Action Plan (NAP).
The five-year plan will see national focal points formed, mass mobilisation and campaigns conducted and cross-border cooperation reinforced to effectively control and prevent illegal arms trade in the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Times (Rwanda)
35478
China,Sudan
South Sudan Rebels Have New Chinese Assault Rifles, Says Swiss Group
26 October 2011
Sudan Tribune (France)
KHARTOUM – Relatively new Chinese weapons have been seized from rebel groups in South Sudan, according to the Small Arms Survey research organisation.
Arms captured from rebel fighters loyal to both Peter Gadet and George Athor included Chinese Type-56-1 assault rifles. South Sudan has repeatedly accused Khartoum of backing southern rebels in an attempt to destabilise the oil-rich nation, which became independent in July.
Khartoum denies that it arms rebels in South... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
35468
United States,Algeria,Libya,Mali,Mauritania,Niger
US, Algeria to Cooperate in Fight Against Libyan Arms Trafficking [FR]
24 October 2011
Le Nouvel Observateur (France) / AP
[Translated summary: The United States wants to strengthen cooperation with Algeria in the fight against small arms trafficking from neighboring Libya. Sahel countries - Algeria, Mali, Mauritania, and Niger - are concerned about the movement of illicit small arms from Libya.]
ALGER — Les Etats-Unis souhaitent renforcer la coopération avec l'Algérie pour lutter contre le trafic d'armes en provenance de la Libye voisine, a déclaré lundi le secrétaire d'Etat... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Nouvel Observateur (France) / AP
35452
United States,Russia,Europe,North Africa,West Asia,Bahrain,Egypt,Libya,Syria,Yemen,Austria,Belgium,Bulgaria,Czech Republic,France,Germany,Italy,United Kingdom,Spain,India
Major Arms Exporters Accused of Mideast Gun Sales Before Human Rights
24 October 2011
al Jazeera
According to an Amnesty International report, the US, Russia and a number of European countries supplied large quantities of weapons to repressive governments in the Middle East and North Africa before this year's uprisings.
The report says that these arms deals were signed despite evidence of a substantial risk that they could be used to commit serious human rights violations.
The human rights group reports that in the five years preceding the Arab spring $2.4bn... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: al Jazeera
35448
European Union,China,Germany,South Korea,Switzerland,Serbia,France,United Kingdom,Syria,Yemen,Bulgaria,Belgium,Libya,Italy,Bahrain,Egypt,United States,Russia,West Asia,North Africa,Finland,Austria,Sudan,North Korea,Spain
Tracing the Middle East Weapons Flow
19 October 2011
al Jazeera
Earlier this year, as mass popular uprisings spread through the Middle East and audiences across the world sat transfixed by images of unarmed citizens confronting iron-fisted security forces in the streets of Arab capitals, powerful governments from Russia to the United States were forced to begin accounting for the weapons they had for decades sold to the very rulers they now found themselves abandoning.
In Egypt and Bahrain, protesters held up tear gas canisters... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: al Jazeera
35436
Germany,France,Czech Republic,Bulgaria,United Kingdom,Belgium,Austria,Yemen,Syria,Libya,Egypt,Bahrain,North America,West Asia,North Africa,Europe,United States,Russia,Italy,Spain
Arab Spring Abuses Show Need for Arms Trade Curb - Amnesty
18 October 2011
Reuters (Africa)
LONDON - Russia, the United States and European countries ignored fears over human rights abuses and sold large numbers of weapons to governments in the Middle East and North Africa in recent years, Amnesty International said in a report on Wednesday.
Rights group Amnesty said the failings showed the need for a meaningful international arms trade treaty to choke off the supply of weapons to countries seen at risk of turning them on their own people.
"The Arab Spring... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Reuters (Africa)
35431
Iran,Yemen,Turkey,Libya,Iraq,Lebanon,Syria
Syria's Alawites Go on Arms Shopping Spree
16 October 2011
Jerusalem Post (Israel)
Small arms are increasingly in demand inside volatile Syria, particularly among the country's Alawite minority, who fear they may face retaliation over the revolt against their co-religionist, President Bashar Assad.
Most of the weapons are being smuggled in from Lebanon, once an end user of small arms during the country's 15-year civil war that ended in 1990. Today, Lebanon is overflowing with automatic weapons, grenades and hunting rifles, all of which are in demand... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Jerusalem Post (Israel)
35420
Libya,Mali
The Return of Ex-Combatants from Libya to Mali Worries [FR]
12 October 2011
Radio France Internationale (Afrique)
[Translated summary: The return of Malian ex-combatants, from Libya to Mali, worries. They come back with an important military arsenal and these weapons will easily find takers in Sahel.]
Dans le nord du Mali, plusieurs dizaines d'ex-combattants libyens d'origine malienne sont attendus d'ici quelques jours. Il s'agit de membres de l'armée libyenne pro-Kadhafi, qui ont été défaits et qui cherchent aujourd'hui à retourner dans leur pays d'origine. Mais alors que... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Radio France Internationale (Afrique)
35412
Sudan
Only UN Can Offer Sustainable Disarmament of Civilians in South Sudan
12 October 2011
Sudan Tribune (France), Opinion
It's commendable that the government of South Sudan took upon itself the bold initiative ever to address the widespread insecurity in the country through an enforced nationwide disarmament campaign. However, six and a half years in the row the much applauded campaign has paradoxically come to stand as a testimony of the failures after failures incurred under the leadership of this system that never learns from its mistakes.
Firearms make their ways from the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
35401
Kenya,Somalia,Libya,Ethiopia,Sudan,Uganda,Ukraine
Police Close Kenya-Somalia Border, Attempt to Block 'Conduit of Illicit Arms'
5 October 2011
Business Daily (Nairobi)
Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere's Monday order to close the Kenya-Somalia border has not affected flights, offering miraa traders and humanitarian workers a lifeline.
Miraa is one of Kenya's largest exports to Somalia, accounting for a substantial share of the Sh13 billion export value to the country last year, according to the Economic Survey 2011.
"We do not have any indication of cancellation of flights from the commissioner's communication," said Kenya Police... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Business Daily (Nairobi)
35374
Qatar,Libya
Libyans Launch Grassroots Efforts to Stop Deadly Proliferation of Guns
1 October 2011
Miami Herald
TRIPOLI, Libya -- Alarmed at the deadly arsenals piling up in ordinary Libyan neighborhoods, self-appointed community leaders in Tripoli have begun issuing their own gun licenses and, in some cases, conducting raids to retrieve land mines and rockets stored in private homes.
Qatar and other nations flooded Libya with arms during revolutionary forces' six-month struggle to overthrow longtime leader Moammar Gadhafi. And when the NATO-backed former rebels finally toppled... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Miami Herald
35348
Libya
'Everyone in Tripoli Has at Least One Gun' [Fr]
28 September 2011
Au Fait (Morocco) / AFP
[Translated summary: 'Everyone in Tripoli has at least one gun'; Teenagers brandish AK-47 to armed combatants; An AK-47 now costs $650. The proliferation of weapons in Libya worries the new authorities and the international community.]
Des adolescents brandissant des kalachnikovs dans les rues de Tripoli aux combattants armés de lance-roquettes sur le front, les armes sont partout en Libye et mettent en péril l'assise des nouvelles autorités. Hors de Libye,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Au Fait (Morocco) / AFP
35344
Venezuela,Libya,Russia
Russia Defence Ministry Orders an Update of the Kalashnikov Rifle
28 September 2011
Moscow Times
The Defense Ministry said Tuesday that it has suspended purchases of the legendary Kalashnikov rifle and is expecting the manufacturer, Izhevsk machinery plant, to present it with a new model of the weapon.
Mobilization reserves of Kalashnikov assault rifles, which the Soviet armed forces began using in 1949, are too big, and the ministry is not satisfied with the quality of the current firearms arsenal, General Staff chief Nikolai Makarov said.
The current reserves... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Moscow Times
35334
Libya,United States
As Civil War Winds Down, Libya Is Awash in Small Arms
26 September 2011
National (Abu Dhabi), Editorial
Somewhere amid the detritus of Col Muammar Qaddafi's unlamented regime, US officials say, are as many as 20,000 shoulder-launched rockets, each capable of shooting down an airliner or helicopter. The notion of such weapons in the hands of Al Qaeda or its allies is a nightmare for everyone.
For the people of Libya, however, those rockets are just part of a much wider problem: as the civil war winds down, after the collapse of Qaddafi's regime, the country is awash in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: National (Abu Dhabi)
35333
Sudan
Over 2,000 Firearms Collected in Lakes State, South Sudan
23 September 2011
Sudan Tribune (France)
JUBA — The Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) division six commander in charge of disarmament in Lakes and Unity states, Marial Chanuong Yol, told press that disarmament is moving ahead peacefully.
Yol said that 2,201 firearms have been collected in Lakes state since the disarmament campaign began on 7 September and the "surrendering of arms is still going on."
Lakes state has suffered cattle raids, robbery and inter-clan disputes as well inter-state conflict... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
35331
Egypt,Libya,North Africa
Gun Smugglers Arrested Along Libya-Egypt Border
21 September 2011
Bikyamasr (Cairo)
CAIRO - Egyptian security forces arrested three people along the Egyptian-Libyan border on Wednesday attempting to smuggle guns and ammunition into the North African country, officials said.
The three Egyptian citizens were attempting to pass a checkpoint when they were caught, a gunfight exploding between smugglers and police.
According to local newspapers, the battle lasted three hours before the weapons were confiscated and the Egyptians were arrested.
Security... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Bikyamasr (Cairo)
35307
Kenya,Ethiopia,Uganda,Sudan,Somalia,East Africa
Hundreds Die in Gun Violence, Cattle Rustling in East African Drought
20 September 2011
Think Africa Press, Opinion
TURKANA, Kenya - On a recent trip to Turkana in northern Kenya, somewhere between Maralal and Baragoi we stopped by a dry riverbed. A group of 12 men came into view through the desert scrub. As they drew closer their weapons were clearly visible, a mix of AK47s, ex-government issue G3s and a few older rifles. Our nervousness was unwarranted and the group barely slowed as they passed, merely raising their hands in greeting before continuing on towards some distant... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Think Africa Press
35315
Burundi,Rwanda,Congo (DRC),East Africa,Djibouti,Ethiopia,Eritrea,Kenya,Seychelles,Somalia,Sudan,Tanzania
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
Sudan
South Sudan Army Begins Civilian Disarmament in Lakes State
10 September 2011
Sudan Tribune (France)
JUBA — The Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) which became the official army of the newly established Republic of South Sudan in July said on Saturday it has begun disarming civilians in Lakes state.
The spokesman of the army said South Sudan's military is responding to an order by Lakes state governor, Chol Tong Mayay, requesting the SPLA in the area peacefully collect all types of weapons from the civilian population.
Governor Mayay's order is a response to a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
35272
Libya
Tripoli Awash in Guns, Celebratory Shootings as Rebels Register Firearms
9 September 2011
Christian Science Monitor
TRIPOLI, Libya - As rebel forces moved on Libya's capital three weeks ago, the people of Tripoli prepared for the worst. They expected that Muammar Qaddafi would somehow "burn" the capital as he fell and state TV said the rebels would slaughter them.
Those apocalyptic fears have so far failed to materialize. Instead, three weeks after Mr. Qaddafi went into hiding, the celebrations continue. Now, the top cause of casualties in Tripoli is the number of bullets fired... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Christian Science Monitor
35266
North Africa,Libya
Loose Guns in Tripoli: How to Collect and Secure Small Arms [Fr]
4 September 2011
Afrique en Ligne
[Translated summary: The conflict in Tripoli and its liberation, as well as the discovery of ammunition and arsenals in various parts of the Libyan capital resulted in a phenomenon of propagation of small arms in the city. How to collect these small arms and when?]
Un défi majeur pour les nouvelles autorités - La bataille de Tripoli et sa libération ainsi que la découverte de munitions et d'entrepôts d'armes dans divers quartiers de la capitale libyenne ont donné... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Afrique en Ligne
35242
Ukraine,North Africa,Niger,Algeria,Mali,France,United Kingdom,United States,Libya
Libya Warned Smugglers Are Looting Gaddafi's Guns
2 September 2011
Guardian (UK)
Libya must urgently secure weapons hoarded by the Gaddafi regime amid growing fears that smugglers are exploiting the chaos there to loot hundreds of portable missiles and other small arms, western officials have warned.
The US and Nato are pressing the National Transitional Council to make the issue a priority because of concerns that the trade has already begun, with reports that some African mercenaries who fought for Colonel Muammar Gaddafi are returning home laden... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
35237
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