IANSA Update 11 April 2008

Great Lakes/Horn of Africa starts implementing the International Tracing Instrument
Jamaica: AI condemn police killings
DR Congo: UN arms embargo significantly weakened
Liberia: Ratification of the ECOWAS convention
Nepal: Eight shot dead in run-up to elections
Bulgaria: FLARE condemns recent shooting of public figures
US: Guns used in 85% of murder-suicides in first half of 2007
Other news: CAAT victory in UK; call for action from CMC; WHO mentor program; gender research jobs

Great Lakes/Horn of Africa starts implementing the International Tracing Instrument

All state-owned firearms in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa region are to be marked with serial numbers and country codes, according to a renewed agreement made by states last week at a meeting organised by RECSA (Regional Centre for Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa and Bordering States). The markings will be added at the point of manufacture, import or transfer. This information will then be entered into a national database. National Focal Point Coordinators from each of the 12 states were instructed in the marking process, stockpile management and database creation during the meeting. Read more here.

Jamaica: AI condemn police killings

The Jamaican Constabulary Force (JCF) has one of the highest rates of police killings in the Americas, with many killings appearing to be extrajudicial, according to a new report by Amnesty International (AI). The report says although the JCF often state that the killings occur during shoot-outs, most eyewitnesses argue that the victims posed no risk to human life. Many victims were killed in their beds and autopsies have revealed that some were shot in the head at short range or that their hands had no traces of gunpowder, indicating that were unlikely to have been armed. 1,422 people were killed by Jamaican police and a further 1,115 were injured between 2000 and 2007. A video link can be found here.

DR Congo: UN arms embargo significantly weakened
The UN arms embargo on the DR Congo has been significantly weakened by a resolution adopted by the Security Council on 31 March. The embargo will remain for armed groups, but it has been weakened for troops associated with the government. Previously, the embargo had exemptions for all Congolese military units except those in the Eastern conflict zones composed of combatants that had not yet been fully integrated within the army. According to UN reports, there are thousands of these combatants who will now be able to import weapons legally. Amnesty International has reported that these units are still committing human rights abuses, confirming that the weakening of the embargo was premature. Read more here.

Liberia: Ratification of the ECOWAS convention
Liberia has initiated the ratification process of the Economic Community of West African States Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, their ammunition and related materials. The ratification process was marked with a ceremony in Monrovia on 4 April. Read more here.

Nepal: Eight shot dead in run-up to elections
At least eight people were shot dead before the Nepalese elections earlier this week. The victims, including a communist candidate and several Maoists, were shot dead by police during clashes between rival political factions, 300 km west of Kathmandu. Read more here.

Bulgaria: FLARE condemns recent shooting of public figures
The Freedom, Legality and Rights in Europe network (FLARE) have condemned the gun homicides of two leading public figures by the mafia in Bulgaria. A high-profile businessman and anti-mafia writer were shot dead within 18 hours of each other last week. One of the shootings took place in a busy area of the capital in the presence of children. "We call on the young people of Europe to join the active struggle against organised crime," said Bulgarian FLARE member Dobromir Coliov. "The mafia's existence must not be taken as absolute." Read more here.

US: Guns used in 85% of murder-suicides in first half of 2007
88.5% of murder-suicides that took place in the US during the first half of 2007 involved firearms, according to the Violence Policy Centre (VPC) in Washington. At least 554 Americans died in murder-suicides during the period. The suicides included in the study range from high-profile mass shootings like Virginia Tech to domestic shootings. Read more here.

Other news

• Campaign Against the Arms Trade have won a judicial review of the UK government's decision to close an investigation of corruption concerning arms deals to Saudi Arabia by British Aerospace Systems (BAE). The investigations into the deals, which included military hawk jets, were closed in 2006 because of "potential serious damage to UK-Saudi relations." The investigations are now likely to restart.
• The Cluster Munition Coalition is calling on governments to support the strongest and most comprehensive treaty to ban cluster bombs on 19 April, a month before governments meet to negotiate and adopt the treaty to prohibit the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster bombs, provide assistance to affected communities and clear contaminated land. A faith leaders' letter will be available on 14 April and IANSA members are encouraged to support the campaign by placing the letter in national newspapers. The global petition can be signed here.
• The World Health Organisation has launched a global mentoring program for injury and violence preventions seeking to share or develop new skills. Read more here.
• Current gender-related vacancies at the International Rescue Committee, UN-INSTRAW, UNFPA and UNIFEM are posted here.

Join the IANSA Women's Network: email women@iansa.org

Join the Million Faces petition in support of a global Arms Trade Treaty