Burundi’s 10-year civil war has left the country in a state of underdevelopment and insecurity, with widespread and unsecured weapons caches presenting a potential threat to national security, local communities and the country’s humanitarian situation.
On October 11th, MAG assisted the Burundian army in destroying 104 Man-Portable Air Defence Systems (MANPADS), marking the first phase of an eight-month project to support the Government of Burundi in reducing the threat from small arms and light weapons (SALW) and unsecured stockpiles in the country.
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| MAG Technical Field Manager Didier Leonard assesses the demolition site at Mudubugu |
The SAM-7 missiles and other items of surplus ammunition – which were previously at risk of theft, illegal trade or use – were destroyed during a controlled explosion at Mudubugu demolition range, 35km outside the capital of Bujumbura. In attendance were General Brigadier Deo Kamoso, commander of the Logistics Brigade, and representatives of the US Embassy in Burundi.
Ongoing tensions between the government and rebel groups, the permeability of Burundi’s frontiers and the lack of methods to control the illegal trade in SALW through enforcement of the law have sustained the spread of SALW in the civilian population.
Nearly 100,000 households in Burundi are thought to possess small arms and/or light weapons, and some households may own more than one [1].
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| MAG Technical Field Manager Didier Leonard (second left) and the Explosive Ordnance Team |
This is a major concern, not only due to heightened levels of violent crime, but also because the availability of arms raises the risk of a return to conflict.
The project, which follows a MAG reconnaissance and assessment mission in the country in July, focuses on the destruction of a significant cache of MANPADS and other weapons, and the upgrading of the ammunition storage facility in Bujumbura.
Funding from the Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, US Department of State will enable MAG to develop a stockpile destruction, security and management programme to address the problem, and improve the capability of the Government of Burundi to better respond to the challenges caused by SALW.
Note:
[1] Small Arms in Burundi, Disarming the Civilian Population in Peacetime, A Study by the Small Arms Survey and the Ligue Iteka with support from the UNDP-Burundi and Oxfam-NOVIB, Stéphanie Pézard and Nicolas Florquin, August 2007. This estimate takes into account all small arms and light weapons, and also grenades.
» MAG's work in Burundi is made possible with support from the Office of Weapons Removal & Abatement, US Department of State
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