Democratic Republic of the Congo
Since independence from Belgium in 1960, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been affected by significant political turmoil. The armed conflicts resurged in 1996, resulting in proliferation of SALW and ammunition.1 Intense fighting between government forces and non-state actors continue mostly in the eastern region. The armed violence is fueled by the illicit flow of SALW and ammunition across the borders, which leads to population displacement, health and economic problems in the country.2
The DRC’s guiding gun control legislation comprises the Law of 1985 on the Regime of Arms and Ammunition.3 In 2016, a national weapons and ammunition management (WAM) baseline assessment was implemented by the government in cooperation with UNIDIR and UNMAS. In addition, UNMAS, MONUSCO, MAG, and RECSA have supported various ammunition management programmes in the country, including on ammunition destruction and stockpiles security.4
1 UNMAS DRC (2020): Improving Security in the DRC through Weapons and Ammunition Management. The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction. https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2916&context=cisr-journal
2 US Department of State Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (2018, December): To Walk the Earth in Safety. https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/tweis_2019.pdf
3 Alpers, Philip, Michael Picard and Clara Mourlevat (2022): Congo (DRC) – Gun Facts, Figures and the Law. Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney. GunPolicy.org. https://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/congo-drc
4 GICHD (2022): Ammunition Management Activity Platform. https://global.imsma.org/dashboards
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Further information
Accidental explosions
Since the beginning of data collection in 1979 by the Small Arms Survey, nine accidental explosions were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Table 1).
Table 1. Accidental explosions in the DRC (1979-2021)
Year | Location | Owner/manager | Deaths | Injuries |
2014 | Mbujy Mayi | State (military) | 21 | 54 |
2011 | Kibomango | State (military) | N/A | N/A |
2011 | Lubumbashi | N/A | N/A | N/A |
2010 | Mbandaka | State (military) | 0 | 0 |
2009 | Kananga | N/A | N/A | N/A |
2009 | Goma | N/A | N/A | 1 |
2007 | Mbandaka | State (military) | 3 | 52 |
2005 | Walikale | State (military) | 6 | 0 |
2000 | Kinshasa | State (military) | 101 | 200 |
Source: Small Arms Survey (December 2021): Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites (UEMS). Database. https://smallarmssurvey.org/database/unplanned-explosions-munitions-sites-uems
Cases of diversion
Since 1996, there have been numerous cases of diversion of arms and ammunition from government stocks to armed groups.
Source: US Security Council (2015, January 12): Final Report of the Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/final-report-group-experts-democratic-republic-congo-s201519
Disposal
To decrease the above-mentioned risks of accidental explosions and diversion, the Democratic Republic of the Congo continuously disposes of its ammunition (Table 2).
Table 2. Disposal of tonnes of ammunition in the DRC
Year | Tonnes of ammunition |
2018 | 111 |
2013-2014 | 75 |
2009-2010 | 335 |
2006-2009 | 335 |
Sources: MAG (2009, March 11): DR Congo: Destroying Surplus Arms, Reducing Danger. https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/dr-congo-destroying-surplus-arms-reducing-danger; MAG (2010, September 13): DR Congo: 100,000 Weapons Destroyed. https://reliefweb.int/report/democratic-republic-congo/dr-congo-100000-weapons-destroyed; ATT (2014): Conventional Weapons Disposal by the Mines Advisory Group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during FY14. https://att-assistance.org/activity/conventional-weapons-disposal-mines-advisory-group-democratic-republic-congo-during-fy14; US Department of State Bureau of Political-Military Affairs (2018): To Walk the Earth in Safety. https://www.state.gov/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/tweis_2019.pdf
Needs
To further enhance safe and secure ammunition management, the following needs have been identified for the Democratic Republic of the Congo:
- Development or refinement of standards and procedures on stockpile management
- Capacity development for the destruction of surplus stockpiles
Source: PoA Report 2022, Democratic Republic of the Congo. https://unoda-poa.s3.amazonaws.com/reports/COD-French-1241-SUBMITTED.pdf
