South Africa: Over 32,000 guns collected during amnesty
Colombia: Two-thirds of murdered women are shot
Central American governments will create firearms database
Yemen: Images reveal devastation of armed conflict in the north

Other news: Only 4 weeks to the Global Week of Action; Armed violence & development; Sierra Leone’s armed conflict survivors; KANSA Update; Violence in Uruguay; New book on arms trade; Latin American & Caribbean Award.

Some 32,169 guns are no longer in circulation thanks to the joint efforts of South Africa’s police and citizens during the nationwide Firearms Amnesty, which ended on 11 April. Of the total guns recovered, 53% were voluntary surrendered and 21% were confiscated by police in roadblock, search and seizure operations. 27% of the weapons were illegal. Pamela Crowsley from Gun-Free South Africa said: “we are very happy with the amount of firearms that were retrieved and also with the processes that the amnesty triggered. Police have been actively working with local organisations, creating better communication and a sense of trust. The public learnt about the firearms law and lots of public discussions about the dangers of gun ownership were held”. More

64% of Colombian women that were killed between 2004 and 2008 were shot, said a report by the National Institute of Legal Medicine. The majority of these women were between the ages of 20 and 24. The report also shows that during that period, 9 women were sexually assaulted each hour. Of the total 73,395 victims of sexual violence, 84% were under age 18 and most of the assaults took place at home with male family members being the main perpetrators. More.

A firearms information exchange system is being created in Central America. Government officials met in Panama City on 6-7 April for the first of a series of meeting in this regional initiative. A first step will be creating a database with information on arms production, exports, imports and destructions that can be used by all the countries in the region. The process is being coordinated by the Central American Small Arms Control Programme (CASAC). More.

The scale of the devastation caused by Yemeni and Saudi Arabian aerial bombardments of the northern Yemeni region of Sa’dah has been revealed in images obtained by Amnesty International. The pictures, taken in March 2010, show buildings destroyed between August 2009 and February 2010 during the latest in a series of clashes between Yemeni forces and supporters of a Shi’a cleric. Among the damaged buildings are market places, mosques, small businesses, a school, a health centre and dozens of houses. More

Other news:

In 4 weeks we will celebrate the Global Week of Action against Gun Violence! Every day we receive new information about exciting activities being organised in diverse parts of the world. Please let us know when and where your Week of Action events will take place. Email bruce.millar@iansa.org

Ministers and officials from dozens of countries will discuss incorporating armed violence reduction within global development initiatives at a meeting in Oslo (Norway), 20-22 April. Representatives from over 80 civil society organisations will attend, including IANSA Policy Officer Dr Alun Howard. More

Few survivors of Sierra Leone's armed conflict have yet received reparation or compensation, according to a report by UK-based Leonard Cheshire Disability. The report examines the situation of people with disabilities in the post-conflict country. More

28 member organisations gathered for the Kenya Action Network on Small Arms (KANSA) General Assembly in Nairobi on 11-12 March. During the meeting participants agreed to create provincial and district focal points, adopted an action plan for the year and reelected Leonard Kyalo as KANSA’s Coordinator.

A new article analyses the connections between crime and the economic and political situation in Uruguay. It presents statistics and information about armed robbery, homicide and other crimes over the last decade. The article has been published by the Security and Citizenship Programme of FLACSO-Chile. More

Details on export control systems of key states are presented in the new book ‘The International Arms Trade’ by IANSA member Rachel Stohl and Suzette Grilliot. The book also contains a historical overview of arms transfers and describes the impacts of illicit trade on human security. More

Individuals, community based organisations and NGOs are invited to submit candidates to the Grupo Vidanta Foundation Prize “Contributions to the reduction of inequality and poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean”. The deadline for submission has been extended to 30 April. More

Please send your news and stories for the Update to adriana.medina@iansa.org