IANSA NEWS

IANSA Update 18.04.08* Chinese ship carrying arms bound for Zimbabwe in South African waters* Firearm amnesty in central Angola* Ammunition explosion kills 10 in Iran* Nightly gunfire causes residents to flee in North West Frontier Province of Pakistan* WHO toolkit on violence prevention highlights Jamaica gun fatalities* US mourns mass shootings anniversary* Sweden considers exporting radar system to Colombia* Other news: SEESAC update handbook; Watchlist report on children in Sri Lanka; Geneva Declaration newsletter launched; International Tracing Instrument workshop in Togo, jobs IANSA is calling on the South African government to detain a ship that is carrying a consignment of Chinese small arms bound for Zimbabwe. On April 14, the South African government issued a conveyance permit allowing for the transport of weapons, which are reported to be 77 tonnes of small arms including AK-47s and 3m rounds of ammunition, over South African territory to Zimbabwe. This was immediately challenged by two urgent applications, one of which was brought by IANSA, the Open Society Institute and Ceasefire. The other application came from the Council of Churches. The applications are seeking to suspend the conveyance permit and to prohibit the offloading of the consignment and any transport of it through South Africa until the decision is reviewed. Dockworkers and drivers from the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union have also refused to unload or transport the weapons.www.iansa.org668 firearms have been voluntarily handed in by civilians in Angola. The amnesty took place in the Huíla province in March 2008, a few weeks after a regional conference organised by the Angolan government to discuss disarmament strategies.http://www.angolapress-angop.ao/noticia-e.asp?ID=609714Mishandling of ammunition caused a blast that killed 10 people and injured 160 in Iran on 12 April 2008. The explosion occurred immediately after evening prayers in a crowded mosque. http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/meast/04/12/iran.explosion/index.html IANSA Women's Network members Blue Veins have reported that a sharp rise in the availability of firearms in the Peshawar region (Pakistan) is leading to greater civilian insecurity. Blue Veins chairperson Qamar Naseem says that gunfire and explosions are occurring on a nightly basis, causing residents to flee their homes and the Chief Executive of the NGO Befare was kidnapped at gunpoint early on 18 April. Jamaica loses 13.3 billion Jamaican dollars (US$ 187 million) every year to gun violence, according to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO). This number includes both the direct health costs and the productivity lost due to gun death and injury. Guns are used in 16% of all violent injuries, but account for 53% of the total cost of injuries. The research is a case study in a new WHO manual for estimating the economic costs of violence-related injuries:http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/media/news/13_03_2008_2/en/index.html Gun control activists across the US marked the first anniversary of the Virginia Tech mass shooting on 16 April 2008 by staging protests around the country, including outside the US Supreme Court. Activists lay themselves on the ground in groups of 32 in memory of the number of victims who were shot dead. The "lie-ins" lasted a couple of minutes to symbolise the short amount of time needed to purchase a gun in some US states. http://www.bradycampaign.org/media/release.php?release=976The Swedish government may issue a permit to defence manufacturer Saab for the export of an early warning radar system to Colombia. The Inspectorate for Strategic Products has permitted the two countries to start negotiations, despite Swedish arms controls that restrict weapon exports to countries that violate human rights. http://www.dn.se/DNet/jsp/polopoly.jsp?a=760950 Other news:* The Parliamentary Handbook from SEESAC has been updated to reflect changes in the Western Balkan states in 2007. The handbook is designed for parliamentarians in South East Europe but its principles can be applied globally. www.seesac.org * No Safety, No Escape: Children and the Escalating Conflict in Sri Lanka is the latest report from Watchlist. Sri Lanka has witnessed an escalating military build up in recent months, which has restricted humanitarian access to children in war-torn areas and increased recruitment of child soldiers.www.watchlist.org * Implementing the International Tracing Instrument is the theme of a workshop for Central and West African government organised by the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs in Lomé, Togo on 17-18 April 2008.* Jobs: War on Want is seeking a campaigns director based in the UK; the UN NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security seeks a Coordinator based in New York. More info on jobs board:http://www.iansa.org/jobs/