Arms in Africa- small arms trafficking

[hermosabeach]

some light reading-
The first-ever continental analysis of illicit arms flows in Africa, the African Union Commission and the Small Arms Survey identify the scale, availability, characteristics, and supply patterns of illicit small arms in Africa

Weapons Compass: Mapping Illicit Small Arms Flows in Africa

In the first-ever continental analysis of illicit arms flows in Africa, the African Union Commission and the Small Arms Survey identify the scale, availability, characteristics, and supply patterns of illicit small arms in Africa.

www.smallarmssurvey.org

http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/U-Reports/SAS-AU-Weapons-Compass.pdf

http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/U-Reports/SAS-AU-Weapons-Compass.pdf

My take away- corruption allows weapons to move everywhere
Open borders makes moving weapons easier

 

[hermosabeach]

snip

AU member states identify the trafficking of arms and ammunition across land borders as the main type of illicit flow they are confronted with. Armed groups, including terrorist organizations, have demonstrated their capacity to move weapons across borders or carry out attacks.

While the pool of illicit weapons in Africa remains dominated by old, often cold war era models and makes, seizures of recent models of varied origins point to new and emerging sources of small arms for the armed and criminal actors active on the continent.

External sources of illicit small arms include embargo-breaking transfers from the Middle East and Eastern Europe, the trade in readily convertible imitation firearms, and the diversion of recently authorized imports of both arms and ammunition. Some of this equipment is diverted quickly to armed groups after reaching African soil

 

[Maggot]

They need the arms to insure a smooth flow of humans for their slave trade. Same is true in SE Asia.

Human traffickers should be...shit I dont even have a word for it.

 

[MtnCreek]

My take away is they want to kill each other. I remember when they were doing a fine job of it with mostly machetes. A good bit of that continent is unable to support its population and they're trying to fix that problem for themselves (whether they realize is or not). A step towards self-sufficiency!

If we removed all the firearms from Baltimore (not even possible) would they stop killing each other or would it just drag out the process?

.

 

[THEIS]

Hi,

And just think of how much of the 248.6 Million USD (2017) of weapons sold through the US Defense Security Cooperation "FMS" program gets reallocated from that ally to enemy for different revenue reasons.

Ironically that report tries to pin majority of blame on Middle East and Eastern Europe, yet the US Defense Security Cooperation FMS program sends more firearms in a week to xyz Countries in Africa than the Middle East sends in a month. And that does not count the individual export permits from USA businesses to businesses in xyz Country in Africa.

Sincerely,
Theis

 

[Srikaleak]

Hi,

And just think of how much of the 248.6 Million USD (2017) of weapons sold through the US Defense Security Cooperation "FMS" program gets reallocated from that ally to enemy for different revenue reasons.

Ironically that report tries to pin majority of blame on Middle East and Eastern Europe, yet the US Defense Security Cooperation FMS program sends more firearms in a week to xyz Countries in Africa than the Middle East sends in a month. And that does not count the individual export permits from USA businesses to businesses in xyz Country in Africa.

Sincerely,
Theis

Wait, I thought ITAR prevents US businesses from selling arms overseas unless with explicit authorizarion by US.gov? USDSCFMS is the governing body to make those sales happen?

 

[THEIS]

Hi,

ITAR is not to prevent, it is to regulate.

I send shipments every week to gunsmiths and dealers in various African countries.

Sincerely,
Theis

 

[MK20]

And may I add that the AU has absolutely no fucking clue about what really goes on in most of these countries with regards to the arms trade.