Introduction
MAG started work in Burundi in 2007 to support the Government of Burundi by reducing the threats posed by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW), a problem exacerbated by unsecured stockpiles in the country.
Burundi’s 12-year civil war has left the country in a state of underdevelopment and insecurity. A legacy of the conflict in Burundi is the widespread prevalence of SALW such as hand-grenades which continue to jeopardise the security of much of the civilian population, they are used in civil disputes and can be accessed by children who play with them unaware of the risks.
The programme is working directly with the Police Nationale du Burundi (PNB, Burundian Police) to develop their capacity to safely secure and manage their SALW stocks and has plans to develop a similar comprehensive Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM) project with the Burundian Army, the Force de Defense Nationale (FDN).
The goal is to ensure that SALW from government stores will not feed in to the civilian market, MAG is also supporting the civilian disarmament campaign by destroying SALW that have been surrendered by the population to the National Commission for Civilian Disarmament.
MAG’s contribution will reduce the risks of accidents and – by improving the security and the management of SALW – will limit the risks of leakage of state-owned weapons into civilian or rebel hands, thereby contributing to a decrease in the burden of armed violence on the Burundian society, and the level of violence in the crucial period of the upcoming elections.
All of MAG’s activities are conducted in the framework of the Nairobi Protocol for the Prevention, Control, and Reduction of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa.
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MAG Technical Field Manager-Team Leader Jacques Delemarle assesses a Police armoury in Bujumbura. [Photo: MAG Burundi] Top: Weapons about to be destroyed at the Weapons Destruction Workshop. [Photo: Martina Bacigalupo] |
FDN
In 2007-2008, MAG assisted the Force de Defense Nationale (FDN) in destroying 312 Man-Portable Air Defence Systems, ‘MANPADS’, as well as other obsolete ammunition. MAG established and continues to support the Weapons Destruction Workshop in Bujumbura where over 8,000 weapons have been destroyed to date.
From January to June 2010, a mixed MAG-FDN survey team will conduct an assessment of the FDN-owned SALW: their type, condition and quantity, and how they are stored and managed. Recommendations for improvements will be made to the FDN, and implemented with MAG’s support in future projects.
PNB
Following a five-month survey of PNB SALW conducted in 2008-2009, MAG and the PNB are implementing a comprehensive Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM) project to secure the police’s weapons and support the implementation of the Nairobi Protocol. The project consists of three components:
1. Disposal of surplus and obsolete SALW and the marking of the remaining weapons;
2. Improvement of the physical security of armouries;
3. Training of the armourers.
These activities are implemented nationwide by two joint MAG-PNB teams: One Mobile Team which includes a MAG TFM and eight specially-trained Burundian policemen, and can also deal with unexploded ordnance (UXO) spot tasks as and when required; and one Physical Security team comprised of a PNB liaison officer and two multi-skilled workers, supervised by a MAG TFM.
This PSSM project complements an initial one year-long nationwide project (July 2008-June 2009) which saw the destruction of over 88,000 seized, handed-over or very dangerous SALW that had been stored in police station without any plan for their disposal.
CDCPA
With the MAG-PNB mobile team, MAG is also supporting the Commission de Désarmement Civil et de lutte contre la Prolifération des Armes légères (CDCPA) by collecting and destroying SALW that are handed-over by the population in the context of the civilian disarmament campaign.
Humanitarian Mine Action
While MAG Burundi’s focus is largely SALW, the programme is currently seeking funds to build the capacity of the Civilian Protection (in charge of mine action) to remove the residual mine and UXO contamination but also build a national response capacity to deal with explosive ordnance.
Once the remaining Suspected Hazardous Areas in the Kibira Forest in the North-west of the country have been cleared, Burundi will be the first African Nation to meet its Article 5 obligations under the Ottawa Mine Ban Treaty.
Partnerships and coordination
MAG is working in close collaboration with the national authorities including the Commission de Desarmement Civil et lutte contre la Profileration des Armes legeres (CDCPA),the Burundian Army and Police, as well as with the United Nations in Burundi (BINUB and UNDP).
Donor partnership opportunities
MAG is currently looking for partners to achieve the implementation of phase two of the PSSM with the PNB in support of the Nairobi Protocol, especially for the training of the police armourers, as well as for the survey of suspected areas in the Kibira Forest and the capacity building of the Civilian Protection.
MAG would like to express its thanks to the following donors to its Burundi operations: Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Swiss Government; UNDP.
October 2009
