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

CONCLUSIONTHE AFRICAN ARMS MARKET IS CHANGING, WITH THEINVOLVEMENT OF NEW SUPPLIERS AND THE APPEARANCE OFNEW SUPPLY VECTORS, BOTH LEGAL AND ILLICIT.unlike Sudan, they do not appear to have involvedthe transfer of Iranian weapons. Moreover, datesof manufacture suggest that these transfers tookplace within a relatively short time period and donot appear to have been repeated—although thiscannot be ruled out.Finally, this report’s findings have widerimplications for weapons and ammunitionproliferation in Africa. First, relatively recentsupplies of Iranian ammunition emphasise theevolving nature of the market. The African armsmarket is changing, with the involvement of newsuppliers and the appearance of new supplyvectors, both legal and illicit. Exporters such asChina (and to a lesser extent Iran) appear to beheavily involved in the supply of weapons to Africanstates that are embroiled in armed conflicts.Countries such as Sudan are not simply end usersof foreign-manufactured materiel, but intensiveredistributors.Second, the findings re-emphasise the critical rolethat African governments play in feeding weaponsand ammunition to illicit markets. Investigationsin this report profile ongoing problems associatedwith either the loss or theft of weapons fromgovernment arsenals or deliberate governmentarms supplies to neighbouring insurgencies. Thesetwo factors make African governments the primaryindirect source, not only of Iranian ammunitioncirculating on illicit markets, but arms andammunition from a host of other manufacturers.transfers to Africa are relatively recent, they stillencompass a decade of activity. The fact that thisis the first major report to note Iran’s decade-longinvolvement indicates a worrying lack of capacitydevoted to monitoring illicit proliferation. Despitemillions of dollars spent on international diplomaticinitiatives, such as the UN Programme of Action onSmall Arms or the Arms Trade Treaty process, theresources allocated to field investigations remainslight in the extreme.Interested members of the internationalcommunity stand a far greater chance of assisting—or pressuring—African governments to curtailunchecked arms transfers than they have ofpersuading emerging arms producers to abandonnewly found market opportunities. But to do this,the international community must invest in thenecessary diagnostic side of arms control. Theproblem cannot be adequately addressed unless itis fully understood. Donor governments need to actquickly and provide the appropriate resources tofield-based investigations.Third, these findings suggest severe weaknessesin the international community’s capacity tomonitor—and subsequently address—illicitweapons flows. Although Iranian ammunition38Conflict Armament ResearchThe Distribution of Iranian Ammunition in Africa: Evidence from a Nine-country Investigation