MAG has been operational in Iraq since 1992 and has had specialist teams dedicated to addressing the country’s small arms and light weapons (SALW) problem since September 2007. Iraq is one of the most heavily armed countries in the world, with guns, missiles and mortars widely available on both the legal and black markets. MAG destruction teams destroy an average of one ton (907kg) of SALW every day across the country. Older weapons dating back from World War II as well as modern small and light weapons can be bought from the illicit arms market. During the 1991 Gulf War, many small arms found their way into civilian hands following lootings of government stockpiles. The presence of proliferation of SALW worsens an already violent and insecure environment for Iraqi civilians, many of whom are in possession of weapons for their own self-protection.
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Local children walk past a scrapyard containing unexploded ordnance (UXO) in Tangero close to Sulamaniyah. |
By increasing insecurity, the impact of SALW extends far beyond the poverty and suffering of local communities. Access to SALW is sustaining and prolonging the conflict in Iraq, exacerbating violence, fuelling crime and terrorism and actively undermining counter-insurgency, security and peace-building efforts. The effects of SALW are felt at the local, national and regional level, and pose a threat to the political stability of the Middle East.
MAG has established a mobile SALW capacity to respond to this threat. MAG assesses that the scale of SALW contamination in Iraq is such that a continued integrated and prioritized response is required.
On a daily basis, SALW constitute a real and significant threat to multinational forces and are directly responsible for accidents and loss of life. During the first 6 months of the MAG SALW teams becoming operational, SALW Community Liaison (CL) teams deployed to over 500 communities throughout Dahok, Erbil, Sulimaniyah, Diyala and Ninewah governorates, identifying, recording and reporting incidents of unsecured and abandoned SALW caches and stockpiles. SALW teams have responded to nearly 600 reported incidents of unsecured and abandoned caches of SALW and have destroyed over 85,000 tons of explosive materials and over 35,000 hazardous items. Operations have benefitted 35,000 individuals. SALW teams respond to emergency tasks within a 24 hour period.
As part of its SALW outreach campaign, MAG has established a local hotline number for communities to report incidents of SALW contamination. Through advertising and community liaison, MAG is promoting the ‘DIAL 234’ campaign. MAG’s SALW emergency response hotline number encourages individuals and communities to call and report incidences of insecure SALW.
Despite the success of this work, extensive SALW contamination remains a serious threat to communities, national and multinational forces. MAG continues to receive reports of accidents involving unsecured SALW and due to the high level of reported instances of SALW contamination in current operational areas, further funding is necessary for CL and SALW teams to continue their work in the governorates where there is already a MAG presence.
Furthermore, MAG anticipates that a continual gradual improvement in security will create new opportunities to reach previously inaccessible areas and further support conflict recovery in Iraq. Addressing unguarded and insecure stockpiles and caches of SALW in these areas is considered essential to support consolidation of security and peace-building in the region.
By removing insecure and abandoned caches of SALW, MAG’s SALW teams will support agencies working to attain long-term recovery, increased stability and security in Iraq, including local government agencies, the Iraqi Kurdistan Mine Action Authority (IKMAA) and the General Directorate of Mine Action (GDMA). In addition, MAG works directly with national and international NGOs, including ICRC, Qandil and the Iraqi Red Crescent, to ensure that instances of SALW contamination do not restrict their work.
