Primary area: DR Congo Secondary area: Primary theme: Weapons Collection and Amnesties Secondary theme: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UNA-UK: Disarmament Stop the Scourge: The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) The ongoing conflict in the DRC is fought mainly with small arms. Millions of weapons are circulating in the region, particularly in eastern DRC (Orientale, North and South Kivu and northern Katanga regions). The weapons increase in the region is fuelled by a complex network of weapons channels with neighbouring countries. New supplies - often brought in by businessmen or soldiers from foreign armies - continually fuel the presence of small arms. The conflict in the DRC involves rebel groups from Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. According to a UN Panel of Experts 1, armed combatant groups are driven by their desire to control and profit from DRC's natural resources and finance their armies and military by the exploitation of key mineral resources: coltan, diamonds, copper, cobalt and gold. The mining and trading of these resources have been causal factors in the armed conflict involving at least six foreign government armies and many armed political groups. According to Oxfam, (who undertake development work in the DRC), the majority of small arms that enter the high conflict areas of Ituri and North Kivu derive primarily from Uganda through the official group Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF). They have been reported to use private companies to transport arms to designated regions 2. In 1999, North Korea imported arms to official armies of both Uganda and the DRC (Armée du Peuple Congolaise) - delivering 5000 automatic machine guns, 1000 grenade launchers and 2000 boxes of ammunition. The UPDC also officially buys arms from South Africa and the US 3. As identified by UNDP, the 'consequences are devastating and widespread small arms availability and use is perpetuating armed conflict, criminality, arbitrary violence and the fragmentation of government structures' 4. The result is an alarming death rate of approximately 750 people per 100,000, making the DRC one of the most dangerous regions on earth. Widespread-armed violence has targeted DRC's civilians through rape, assault and summary executions. In conflict-ridden regions, 80% of houses, fields and public infrastructure has been destroyed. The accumulative impact of small arms related violence and insecurity has contributed to the displacement of approximately 1,790,000 people. Moreover, 'the civil strife has caused a decline in access to health care, collapse in economic productivity drastic reduction to humanitarian and development access, disintegration of traditional social and community bonds, and has also 'militarized' society as individuals increasingly turn to weapons to regulate social and economic interaction'. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sources (PDF files - Adobe Acrobat reader required) 1,2,3 Please refer to Under Fire: the human cost of small arms in north-east Democratic Republic of the Congo January2001 4 In some territories, civilians are able to purchase guns from combatant soldiers.