IANSA Update 8 August 2008

DRC: Are government and rebel troops rearming?
UN: GGE on Arms Trade Treaty concludes its final session
Switzerland: Europe's highest level of youth gun suicides
Spain: Global DDR analysis
Tanzania: Civilians fuelling arms proliferation, not bandits
Other news: Weapons destruction, Africa website, Peace training, Geneva job

DRC: Are government and rebel troops rearming?
Concerns are rising over the threat of renewed conflict between the government and rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with both sides re-arming in the east of the country. The BBC reports that the government has flown six plane-loads of ammunition and arms into Goma, despite the signing of a peace agreement with rebel forces in January 2008. The rebel leader General Nkunda has reportedly been recruiting new troops in Rwanda and Burundi. Civil society organisations fear that rearmament will undermine the peace and leave the civilian populations increasingly vulnerable. IANSA member Securitas Congo is calling for the UN to strengthen the arms embargo on the east of DRC to reduce the threat of conflict breaking out again. Read more here.

UN: GGE on Arms Trade Treaty concludes its final session
The UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on the Arms Trade Treaty concluded its third and final session of deliberations on Friday 8 August. The GGE met in New York throughout the year to consider the development of common international standards for the transfers of conventional weapons. Its report is expected to be released publicly before being presented to the UN General Assembly in September-October 2008. Read the Control Arms campaign statement on the GGE.

Switzerland: Europe's highest level of youth gun suicides
An international survey has revealed that Switzerland holds the European record for youth gun suicides, with 43.6% of suicides among young men involving firearms. Easy access to weapons and weak gun laws are directly linked to this high level of fatality, according to the European Alliance Against Depression. Firearms availability is increased by Switzerland's unique policy requiring army reservists to keep their military weapons at home. Liberal laws also allow civilians to buy guns from their previous owners without the need for a licence. IANSA members in Switzerland have called for measures to reduce access to firearms, using the cases of Canada, Australia and Britain to illustrate how stricter gun control can prevent suicides. Read more here.

Spain: Global DDR analysis
The School for a Culture of Peace at the Autonomous University in Barcelona (Spain) has released its report on Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) programs that took place in 2007. The report analyses 19 DDR programs involving an estimated 1.1 million ex-combatants. The presence of child soldiers was often high in groups targeted for demobilisation, with children making up an average of 10.8% of total combatants. The report also identifies successful peace agreements that were reached using several approaches including amnesties and security sector reform, and it reveals the creation of thirteen National Commissions for DDR (NCDDR) as a result of the programs. Read more here.

Tanzania: Civilians fuelling arms proliferation, not bandits
Police in the Arusha region of Tanzania say ordinary civilians, not bandits, are to blame for an increase in arms proliferation in the district of Ngorongoro. More than twenty military weapons and hundreds of rounds of ammunition have been seized by police since January. The police assert that Somali bandits who once terrorised the region have not been seen for years and are no longer the main source of illicit arms. Now their key concern is civilians increasingly carrying guns without a license. The Tanzania National Action Network on Small Arms (TANANSA) believes many arms held by villagers are unlawfully diverted from legal owners. The network is calling on local authorities to review all gun licenses in the Arusha region and tighten the licensing process to curb arms proliferation in local communities. Read more here.

Other news

• The US State Department has granted substantial funds to the Mines Advisory Group (MAG) America and the Halo Trust in a $1.4 million program to destroy weapons and clear landmines in heavily affected areas of North Somalia.
• The Africa Peace and Conflict Network (APCN), a network of scholars and activists promoting peace building initiatives in Africa, has launched its new website. The network invites others working in African peace building and conflict prevention to submit written pieces to its Occasional Paper Series.
• The International Peace and Development Training Center (IPDTC) has announced its schedule of training programmes for August and September.
• Jobs: The Geneva Forum is recruiting a Coordinator. The deadline for applications is 22 August 2008. More information on our job board.
  

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