The Distribution of Iranian Ammunition in Africa - Conflict Armament ...

CASE STUDIESwere marked with yellow/gold lettering indicatingthe quantity of ammunition, the calibre, lot numberand year of manufacture. Although the sensitivesecurity environment prevented photography of thepackaging, 15 the bags were identical in constructionand marking to Iranian ammunition ‘battle bags’later found elsewhere on the continent (see thecases presented below).The Small Arms Survey study concluded thatKenyan security forces were the primary sourceof the (then-unidentified) Iranian 7.62 x 39 mmammunition circulating in the region—specificallythe Kenya Police and Kenya Police Reserves.Evidence for these assertions included thefollowing:In 2008 Iranian-manufactured ammunition of thetype illustrated in Image 8 comprised 70 per centof sampled 7.62 x 39 mm cartridges in servicewith the Kenya Police and Kenya Police Reserves.The study observed first-hand the Kenya Policesupplying this type of ammunition to armedTurkana civilians in 2007 and 2008.Reports by those supplied with the ammunitionconfirmed that the Kenya Police and Kenya PoliceReserves had distributed it.The prevalence of this type of ammunitiondiminished at greater distances from Kenya (andfrom the Kenya Police and Kenya Police Reservesthat supplied it). 16Although not recognised in 2008 as havingoriginated in Iran, it is clear that the Governmentof Kenya imported very large quantities of Iranianammunition—probably in the range of millions ofrounds.Analysis of the date marks applied to cartridgesindicate production in the years 2001, 2002 and2003, with 97 per cent of the cartridges bearing2003 date marks. A logical conclusion is that thecartridges cannot have been supplied prior to thedate of manufacture (2001), nor can they have beensupplied after the date they were observed (2008).Moreover, given that the majority of cartridges datefrom 2003 and that large-scale observation beganin 2006, there are some grounds for concluding thatthe Government of Kenya acquired the ammunitionbetween 2003 and 2006. This conclusion is arguablylent greater weight by the fact that UN SecurityCouncil prohibited the export of Iranian militarymateriel in March 2007, which should have deterreddirect Kenyan ammunition acquisition from Iranafter that date. 17However, these observations shed little light onthe actual circumstances of Kenya’s acquisitionof the ammunition. Without evidence to thecontrary, supply by a third party (other than Iran)cannot be excluded. However, the time betweenmanufacture and supply (plausibly as little as threeyears) would suggest a very rapid series of transfersbetween three parties—i.e. export from Iran to athird country and subsequent re-export to Kenya.Requests for clarification made to the Governmentof Kenya at the time of the initial investigation andsince remain unanswered. 18DARFUR, SOUTHERN SUDAN AND SOUTH SUDAN, 2006–12Iranian ammunition is in service with Khartoumbackedforces in the Darfur region of Sudan. It isalso in service with SAF troops operating on theborder with South Sudan. Although investigationshave not documented supplies of Iranianammunition to Khartoum-backed militias in SouthSudan, they have identified Iranian weapons in allthree regions—Darfur, southern Sudan 19 and SouthSudan.There is also growing evidence to suggest thatthe Government of Sudan manufactures weaponsof Iranian design, operates weapon productionfacilities with Iranian assistance and suppliesIranian-manufactured weapons to forces allied to itin the region.Working in conjunction with independentinvestigators, Conflict Armament Research hasdocumented two types of Iranian ammunition inservice with Khartoum-backed militia forces inDarfur and southern Sudan. The first type is 7.62 x39 mm in calibre and is identical in construction tothe examples documented elsewhere in this report(see Image 9).The second type of ammunition, documented inuse in Darfur and southern Sudan, is 7.62 x 54Rmm in calibre (see Image 10). The cartridge isalso identical to Iranian ammunition identifiedelsewhere in this report. A third cartridge is 12.7 x108 mm in calibre, resembles Iranian-manufactured24Conflict Armament ResearchThe Distribution of Iranian Ammunition in Africa: Evidence from a Nine-country Investigation