Seems to me if those Rwandan refugees had guns, they wouldn't have been butchered
*************************** http://news.bbc.co.uk
BBC Online
2 January 2000
"Call to stop African arms trade"
Trade in light weapons is prolonging many wars
The head of the International Monetary Fund has appealed to industrialised
countries to stop selling arms to Africa.
In one of his final public statements as head of the IMF before he steps down
next month, Michel Camdessus said war in Africa could be significantly
reduced if countries dealing in arms made a determined effort to prevent
over-militarisation of the continent.
Speaking on French radio, he also urged Western nations to help combat
African poverty by financing development, opening their markets to African
products and reducing the continent's debts.
Diamond sales funded the RUF in Sierra Leone
"The problem of all the ethnic and tribal wars must be either resolved or at
least largely reduced through a big effort by the countries that deal in arms
to prevent the over-militarisation of Africa," Mr Camdessus said.
"The most serious problem ... is poverty. The world cannot afford to abandon
this continent."
"We must step up our efforts in this direction, mobilise industrialised
countries to finance development in Africa, to open their markets to African
products and to reduce Africa's debt," he added.
Small arms
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reported this year that
Africa had more major armed conflicts - 11 in 1998 - than any other
continent.
And it singled out large-scale trafficking in light weapons as a major factor
in prolonging many of the wars.
At a United Nations Security Council meeting in September, UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on the international community to stem
the proliferation of small arms across the world.
The council was told that $5m would buy approximately 20,000 assault rifles -
enough to equip the army of a medium-sized state.
A brochure produced for the meeting said an AK-47 assault rifle could be
bought in Uganda for the price of a chicken, in Kenya for the price of a goat
and in Mozambique and Angola for the price of a sack of corn.
------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
*************************** http://news.bbc.co.uk
BBC Online
2 January 2000
"Call to stop African arms trade"
Trade in light weapons is prolonging many wars
The head of the International Monetary Fund has appealed to industrialised
countries to stop selling arms to Africa.
In one of his final public statements as head of the IMF before he steps down
next month, Michel Camdessus said war in Africa could be significantly
reduced if countries dealing in arms made a determined effort to prevent
over-militarisation of the continent.
Speaking on French radio, he also urged Western nations to help combat
African poverty by financing development, opening their markets to African
products and reducing the continent's debts.
Diamond sales funded the RUF in Sierra Leone
"The problem of all the ethnic and tribal wars must be either resolved or at
least largely reduced through a big effort by the countries that deal in arms
to prevent the over-militarisation of Africa," Mr Camdessus said.
"The most serious problem ... is poverty. The world cannot afford to abandon
this continent."
"We must step up our efforts in this direction, mobilise industrialised
countries to finance development in Africa, to open their markets to African
products and to reduce Africa's debt," he added.
Small arms
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute reported this year that
Africa had more major armed conflicts - 11 in 1998 - than any other
continent.
And it singled out large-scale trafficking in light weapons as a major factor
in prolonging many of the wars.
At a United Nations Security Council meeting in September, UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan called on the international community to stem
the proliferation of small arms across the world.
The council was told that $5m would buy approximately 20,000 assault rifles -
enough to equip the army of a medium-sized state.
A brochure produced for the meeting said an AK-47 assault rifle could be
bought in Uganda for the price of a chicken, in Kenya for the price of a goat
and in Mozambique and Angola for the price of a sack of corn.
------------------
"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes" RKBA!
