Risks of accidents at ammunition depots are high. MAG is addressing this threat. Photo gallery below
The years of conflict that ravaged the Democratic Republic of Congo have resulted in large numbers of weapons and ammunition being scattered around the country. This constitutes a threat to the fragile peace process, as there are few workable processes in place to ensure the control of these items.
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Individual soldiers are held accountable for their weapons and ammunition, but there is little such accountability for stocks and depots. And with a rank-and-file soldier in the Congolese Armed Forces (FARDC) receiving a salary of around US$40 a month, and a brigadier general making around US$601, poverty leads soldiers to sell weapons and ammunition for money.
This feeds illicit trafficking activities, in particular in the Kivu provinces2. According to a group of experts commissioned by the UN Security Council, "FARDC is the main source of weapons and ammunition for non-governmental armed groups"3.
Confronted with this situation, MAG aims to reduce the number of weapons and ammunition stored by the FARDC, and improve the management of stockpiles. During the two days of this photo report at the FARDC logistics base in Bukavu, MAG destroyed more than four tons of surplus or defective ammunition.
To date, throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo, MAG has destroyed more than 102,000 weapons and 655 tons of ammunition, all of which contributes to the security and protection of the civil population.
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Reporting and photos by Gwenn Dubourthoumieu.
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The FARDC (Congolese Armed Forces) logistics base in Bukavu. Several tons of ammunitions and thousands of weapons are stored in an outdated depot right in the heart of the city. Risks of accidents are high. Several depots have exploded in recent years: in Kinshasa in 2003, Mbandaka in 2007 and Kananga in 2009. |
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Surplus and defective ammunition is taken out of Bukavu FARDC stores to be transported to the demolition site. The majority of the ammunition is kept in open dumps exposed to the elements, causing rapid decomposition owing to the harsh climate. |
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(Left) Fulgence Sebahinzi receives a monthly wage of 35,000 francs, the equivalent of US$38. He says: "You can imagine, with 35,000 francs, we cannot even buy shoes... and how do we survive now? With this small salary, anyone who possesses a weapon prefers to sell it to have a good life." The FARDC currently has around 150,000 soldiers. (Right) It’s hard to know how many arms are stored at which depots and with which units. There are few safeguards in place to prevent the illegal sale of weapons and ammunition to non-governmental armed groups. |
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RPG-7s are loaded onto a MAG vehicle to be transported to the demolition site. |
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FARDC soldiers, helped by MAG technical staff, carry 107mm rockets. |
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Forty-seven 107mm rockets about to be destroyed. |
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MAG Technical Field Manager prepares the demolition by putting the explosive charges and fuses in place. |
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In the space of two days, MAG destroyed more than four tons of surplus or defective ammunition. |
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[Photos: Gwenn Dubourthoumieu] |
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Notes:
1 Information received from EUSEC (EU advisory and assistance mission for security reform in the Democratic Republic of Congo).
2 Final report of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, dated 23 November 2009.
3 Final report of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, dated 10 December 2008.
More on MAG's work in D.R. Congo:
- D.R. Congo: The problem / How MAG is helping
- VIDEO: Stockpile - a film from DR Congo
- Improving access to safe drinking water
- Bringing the village of Pepa back to life
- 'I heard an explosion and ran out to find my son wounded'
- PHOTO GALLERY: Partnership and Community Liaison
1 June 2010
MAG thanks the following current donors to its DRC operations: DFID (UK Department for International Development) / UKaid; Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Japanese Government; Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, U.S. Department of State; Sida (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency); UK Ministry of Defence; UNDP.
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