http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/index/ en U.S. Department of State 2012-05-20T23:11:38+00:00 Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement (PM/WRA) in the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Burundi has embarked on a new initiative to build on these gains by improving security of its military and police forces' inventories of small arms and light weapons, such as assault rifles and pistols.

Since 2006, the United States has invested approximately $2.7 million in assistance for weapons stockpile security training, the destruction of 9,000 of its excess weapons, and destruction of 75 tons of its obsolete and excess ammunition in Burundi. This also included the safe destruction of 312 Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) determined by its government to be no longer necessary for its national defense. Their destruction ensured that those highly lethal, shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles will never be used by terrorists to attack a civilian airliner.

PM/WRA is funding the Regional Center on Small Arms (RECSA), based in Nairobi, Kenya, to mark weapons using marking machines. As a result, 47 percent of the firearms owned by the Burundian National Police have already been marked with individual serial numbers and country of origin and entered into an electronic database. Once marked and registered, these arms will be better accounted for and stored more securely to better prevent illicit pilferage and trafficking.

PM/WRA support for weapons marking is a key component to identifying arms trafficking routes in the central African region and increasing accountability within Burundi itself. Efforts to trace trafficked weapons back to owners have already led to arrests. In fiscal years 2009 and 2010, PM/WRA also funded the construction of 38 police micro-armories in Burundi, where newly marked weapons are now safely stored. This project successfully employed local builders and helped to reassure communities of sustained police protection in restive areas of Bujumbura, the capital.

In addition, Burundi's stockpile reduction efforts continue and also contribute to efforts to prevent illicit use of these stockpiles and to mitigate the risk to civilians from accidental detonations. MAG (Mines Advisory Group), a non-governmental organization funded by a grant from PM/WRA, is currently on track to safely dispose of 7,000 more excess Burundian small arms and 70 tons of additional obsolete ammunition. In doing so, this project will also ensure that thousands of Burundians living near ammunition depots will directly benefit from the reduced risk of a catastrophic depot explosion. The recent disaster at a munitions depot in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo earlier this month, which killed and injured so many people and devastated parts of the capital, is the latest tragic example of the threat posed by “dangerous depots.” Burundi is to be commended for proactively dealing with this emerging threat.

The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement continues to provide a wide range of Conventional Weapons Destruction assistance (humanitarian mine action assistance, battle area clearance, UXO remediation at depots that blew up, physical security and stockpile management, and small arms/light weapons mitigation including MANPADS destruction) to other countries in Africa too, as well as in Central and South America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and throughout Asia and the Pacific. To learn more, check out our annual report, To Walk the Earth in Safety, or visit www.state.gov/t/pm/wra.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/burundi_small_arms_landmines/ 2012-04-05T20:53:18+00:00 at-risk conventional weapons, the conflict also resulted in large quantities of unexploded ordnance and landmines scattered throughout the Libyan countryside. In response, the United States has allocated $3 million to two international implementing partners: Mines Advisory Group (MAG) and the Swiss Foundation for Mine Action (FSD) to safeguard Libyan communities through emergency clearance of 1.5 tons of explosives from former battlegrounds and partnering with Libyan authorities to survey remaining ammunition storage areas throughout the country. This is a key component of a larger $40 million investment toward helping the Libyan authorities to safeguard the Libyan people by securing conventional weapons.

MAG and FSD teams have been working closely with Libyan authorities in Adjdabiya, Misrata, Tobruk and the Western Mountain region to identify threats. This cooperation has led to the successful destruction of over 50,000 pieces of unexploded ordnance and the safe clearance of approximately 7.5 million square meters of land to date. Ongoing efforts to identify and safely dispose of suspected threats is a painstaking and dangerous process, and is being carried out in conjunction with the newly formed Libyan Center for Mines and Remnants of War (LMAC). Both MAG and FSD projects began in March 2011 and are expected to continue for the next 2-3 years.

In addition to destruction, U.S-funded MAG teams have also been raising awareness about the dangers posed by what have been nicknamed "street museums," which are unguarded collections of unexploded ordnance collected by local residents Libyans who want to expose Qadhafi's atrocities. Andy Gleeson, MAG's senior technical expert on the ground in Libya commented that "when you've got this mixture of a lot of lethal items lying around, and a population who are wholly unaware of the risks, [it] is really worrying." Fatal incidents involving children playing with what they believe to be harmless pieces of metal have decreased dramatically since risk education activities surrounding the dangers of unexploded ordnance have become available.

Emma Atkinson, Bureau of Political-Military Affairs, Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement, (PM/WRA) Program Manager for Libya, has closely monitored the progress of MAG and FSD. "The work being done by MAG, FSD and other mine action NGOs is critical to security and stability in Libya. The partnership that we have had with the Libyan government, UN, and international community has been phenomenal and it's incredibly rewarding to be a part of such an important project," Atkinson said.]]> http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/entires/landmine_libya_war/ 2012-03-05T19:11:44+00:00