» Why does MAG work in the Republic of Congo?
MAG began work in the Republic of Congo in September 2007, to remediate the risks posed by remnants of conflict, in partnership with the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Congo.
With funding from the US State Department Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, MAG conducts the destruction of stockpiles of small arms and light weapons (SALW), and the survey of sites where accidents have occurred as a result of unexploded ordnance (UXO).
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An example of the boxes of MANPADS kept in unsafe storage conditions. |
Project objectives
MAG aims to make a material contribution to peace-building initiatives and security efforts in the Republic of Congo through identifying, surveying and destroying SALW, MANPADS (man-portable air defence systems), and other explosive ordnance, which currently poses a hazard due to their degraded state, storage conditions, and proximity to local communities.
The Project
In the capital, Brazzaville, and the country's second largest city, Pointe Noire, MAG trained and supervised two teams of Forces Armees Congolais technicians in the use of cutting, burning and controlled demolition techniques to destroy SALW, including:
• MANPADS and related items (grip-stocks and thermal batteries)
• Air-to-air missiles which could be converted for ground-to-air use
• Small arms (Kalashnikov and light machine guns) and ammunition
• Rockets
• Anti-personnel, anti-tank and fluvial mines
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It was estimated that 34,000 weapons remained in circulation in 2005. |
In addition to destruction activities, MAG has conducted surveys in Brazzaville and Dolisie, on sites where accidents have occurred as a result of explosive remnants of conflict, in order to identify the interventions which would be required to make the areas safe for use.
Preliminary findings indicated that accidents are continuing to occur due to the encroachment of communities onto contaminated land for housing, agriculture, and other livelihood activities. A runway is being developed along the periphery of one of these sites, where UXO were discovered during their construction works, and live sub-munitions and bombs lie scattered on open ground, where cultivation activities are taking place
It is anticipated that battle area clearance, and possibly demining, will be required to remove these imminent threats, to prevent further accidents and to ensure safe access and use of the land.
Beneficiaries
By destroying SALW in hazardous states, the project significantly reduced the likelihood of explosions from tampering or poor storage of these items, which serves as a significant benefit to the densely populated communities living within their explosive footprint.
Furthermore, technical support and training to the FAC strengthens national capacity and commitment to SALW destruction, supporting stockpile management systems that increase safety and security on a national and regional level.
October 2008