Action against conflict financing in eastern DR Congo

In January SIPRI Researcher Ruben de Koning attended a meeting hosted by the Congolese Ministry of Mines. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss with international partners ways of strengthening action against the conflict financing that is primarily facilitated through the illegal exploitation of natural resources in eastern DR Congo. It was widely recognized by the participants that the country's regular army is as much involved in this illegal exploitation as the remaining rebel and militia groups. A recent report by United Nations experts argues that under the current security situation, a certain level of demilitarization is a precondition for establishing the various transparency and traceability initiatives (e.g. certification schemes) that could help reduce conflict financing. In his most recent SIPRI Insights paper, De Koning, who has been undertaking extensive field research in northern Katanga Province, describes the nature of military control over mines and sets out options for the Congolese Government to formalize mining activity, to protect the rights of artisanal miners, to hold individual soldiers to account and to transform the controlling military units. Download the paper here and contact Ruben de Koning for further information. For media: TV material available, contact SIPRI Communications Director Stephanie Blenckner.

Upcoming SIPRI events and activities

Workshop: African civil society organizations at SIPRI
The SIPRI Security and Governance in Africa project will hold a two-day workshop at SIPRI for researchers visiting from six project-related African civil society organizations. Participants will together prepare the project's country case study assessment component. Moreover, it is a good opportunity for interaction and the cross-cutting exchange of ideas on security issues in Africa. Contact Programme Director Elisabeth Sköns or Researcher Olawale Ismail for further information.

17-19 Mar.
Olso

Recent SIPRI events and activities

Illicit small arms trafficking: an important issue for Spanish EU Presidency
SIPRI Researcher and Project Leader Hugh Griffiths was invited to Madrid during the Spanish Presidency of the EU to present current and future initiatives of SIPRI's Counter Illicit Trafficking - Mechanism Assessment Project (CIT-MAP). In a meeting organized by the Spanish Ministry of Defence, Griffiths met with a range of Spanish officials, who deal with arms export controls, customs, law enforcement and criminal intelligence. Meetings with the International Affairs and Foreign Policy Institute (INCIPE) and faculty and staff from King Juan Carlos University's Cátedra Servicios de Inteligencia y Sistemas Democráticos (Intelligence Services in Democratic Societies) were also organized. Contact Hugh Griffiths for further information.

2-3 Feb.
Bled, Slovenia

SIPRI Insights on Peace and Security no. 2010/1
Demilitarizing mining areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: the case of northern Katanga Province
Ruben de Koning
The illegal economic exploitation of artisanal mining areas by military forces is a persistent problem in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), even in areas such as northern Katanga Province that are in transition to peace. Many former rebels and militia have not demobilized or been properly integrated into new army structures, and the benefits they derive from mining serve as a disincentive to do so. The government seems to tacitly condone the practice. To download the Insights paper click here.

SIPRI Fact Sheet
Chronology of armaments, disarmament and international security 2009
Nenne Bodell
This chronology lists the significant events in 2009 related to armaments, disarmament and international security. In addition to the headline-grabbing events, such as the end of the conflict in Sri Lanka and North Korea's nuclear test, it also records the less publicized, but no less important, advances and setbacks in arms controls and international security. To download the Fact Sheet click here.

SIPRI Yearbook 2009 in Arabic
The Arabic translation of SIPRI Yearbook 2009: Armaments, Disarmament and International Security has now been published and is available from the Centre for Arab Unity Studies (CAUS), Beirut. The translation was funded by a generous grant from the Swedish Institute, Alexandria. For more information and to order the book, contact CAUS. SIPRI Yearbook 2009 will also be translated into Chinese, Russian and Ukrainian.

SIPRI Fact Sheet
North Korea's nuclear test explosion, 2009
Vitaly Fedchenko
This new SIPRI Fact Sheet gathers the evidence collected since North Korea conducted a nuclear test on 25 May and explains how international agencies and the scientific community were able to determine details of the explosion's location, nature and size. To download the Fact Sheet click here.

SIPRI Background Paper
Arms transfers to East and Southern Africa
Pieter D. Wezeman
Arms flows to East and Southern Africa, which originate from a wide diversity of countries, are relatively small. However even small volumes of arms can play a major role in armed violence and can be an economic burden. Small arms and light weapons are commonly used in violent conflicts in the region. To download the Background Paper click here.

SIPRI Policy Paper no. 25
China's Expanding Role in Peacekeeping: Prospects and Policy Implications
Bates Gill and Chin-hao Huang
China has dramatically increased its participation in UN peace operations in recent years. This timely Policy Paper offers new insights into the development of China's engagement in multilateral peacekeeping and the factors and debates that underlie it. The report also examines what these new trends mean for multilateral peacekeeping and for China's major security partners. Finally, it makes policy-oriented recommendations on how China and the international community can build on this unique opportunity to strengthen multilateral peacekeeping and to firmly establish a new, more positive international role for China. To download the Policy Paper click here.

Map of Multilateral Peace Operation Deployments, September 2009
This SIPRI map presents a snapshot of multilateral peace operation deployments worldwide as of September 2009. Using data drawn from the SIPRI Multilateral Peace Operations Database, it shows where missions are taking place, how large they are and which organizations and coalitions are conducting them. The map is in A3 format. To download the map click here.