Lauren Tracey, Sarah Meek Fellow, Arms Management Programme, ISS, Pretoria

At the end of April there was a massive explosion at a government armoury on the outskirts of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. The armoury, which is situated close to a military facility, and a mere 14km away from the city centre, was said to contain a significant amount of ordinance, including mines and artillery shells. The April 29 explosion, which sent shockwaves throughout the city, resulted in the deaths of at least three people, with scores more being injured and left homeless. 

Just less than a month later, on 27 May, there were a series of explosions at an arms and ammunition storage area in a remote part of Mozambique. It was reported that explosions took place at a base that was used by Renamo (the insurgent-group-turned–opposition-party) during the civil war in Mozambique. Assault rifles, rockets and landmines were allegedly being stored in that area. While the cause of the explosion and its impact (casualties and injuries) has not yet been made known, there has been speculation that the explosion may have been brought about by inadequate storage processes and conditions.  In March 2007, an explosion at a military ammunition storage facility in Malhuzine, which is within the city limits of Maputo, resulted in over 100 deaths and hundreds of injuries.

It is a well-established fact that ammunition storage facilities can be extremely hazardous and dangerous (see article by Ben Coetzee and Guy Lamb). In all three instances, the ammunition explosions resulted in damage to property and loss of life and injuries, which could have been lessened had the necessary safety and effective management procedures been put in place. For example, in all three cases, the civilian population had been allowed to settle in close proximity to the ammunition storage area.

Mbangala, the Tanzanian military camp, which was next to the ammunition storage facility, was reportedly surrounded by civilian homes. In terms of the May 2009 Mozambique incident, ex-Renamo fighters were occupying the former base where the arms and ammunition were being stored. In the case of Malhuzine, a large civilian community had settled in close proximity to the ammunition storage area.

The impact that inadequate stockpile management has had on many communities, as well as the issue of human security, provides a grim example of the seriousness attached to need for locating ammunition stockpiles in safe areas away from civilian communities, as well as implementing effective stockpile management procedures. These ammunition stockpiles pose a significant threat and have “enduring consequences in vulnerable and fragile societies”, and as such need to be adequately managed and/or disposed of, by making use of the correct mechanisms and best practice guidelines. 

 The guidelines and best practice in question relate to:

• Location and construction of storage facilities;
• Physical security measures, such as the lock-and-key practice and access control;
• The effective management of inventory, as well as accounting control procedures;
• Protection measures in the event of an emergency situation;
• Procedures aimed at maximizing transport security of arms and ammunition to and from the storage facilities;
• Precautions and sanctions in the event of loss and theft of such arms and ammunition;
• Security training for personnel regarding stockpile management, location construction and security procedures.