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

CASE STUDIESImage 137.62 x 39 mmammunition recoveredfrom Taliban forcesin Nawa-I-BarakzayiDistrict, HelmandProvince, Afghanistan,documented inJanuary 2010Notes: The cartridgeillustrated is one of a numberdocumented during the NewYork Times investigationthat conform to the physicalcharacteristics of ammunitionpositively identified as Iranianin origin and documented inthis report.© C. J. Chivers/New York Times,2010CôTE D’IVOIRE, 2009–12Evidence compiled by Conflict Armament Researchfrom a range of investigations indicates at leasttwo, unconnected supplies of Iranian ammunitionto Côte d’Ivoire. The first occurred between 2002and 2009 and involved transfers of Iranian 7.62 x 39mm ammunition to former rebel forces operatingin northern Côte d’Ivoire. The second case suggeststhat former government forces acquired quantitiesof Iranian 7.62 x 54R mm ammunition after 2000,but plausibly since a November 2004 UN armsembargo on Côte d’Ivoire.Iranian ammunition transfers tonorthern Côte d’IvoireIn October 2009 The UN Group of Experts onCôte d’Ivoire 37 reported extensive transfers ofammunition from the territory of Burkina Fasoto rebel forces in the north of the country. Thesetransfers violated the UN Security Council armsembargo on Côte d’Ivoire imposed by Resolution1572 (2004).The transfers consisted of large numbers ofcartridges—then estimated to be in excess of 0.5million rounds—a substantial proportion of whichthe Group of Experts was unable to identify. 38Conflict Armament Research has since obtainedsamples of the unidentified ammunition andconfirmed that it is Iranian in origin (see Image14). The cartridges are identical in construction,markings and date of manufacture to numerousexamples identified in East Africa (see the casespresented above). 39The Group of Experts found no examples ofthe Iranian ammunition in its original, factorypackaging. Instead, it noted that the ammunitionhad been repacked into hessian bags (see Image15). The Group of Experts concluded that theremoval of ammunition from its packagingincreased the risks of damage from environmentalexposure and handling, and served no militarypurpose beyond concealment. 40Conflict Armament Research’s findings supportthis conclusion. First, many of the hessian bagscontained only one type of identically markedIranian ammunition. This suggests the unpacking ofhomogeneous ammunition straight from its originalfactory packaging. Second—and supporting thisargument—some of the cartridges had been packedinto small black plastic bags, each containingexactly 20 rounds of ammunition. 4128Conflict Armament ResearchThe Distribution of Iranian Ammunition in Africa: Evidence from a Nine-country Investigation