Looted weapons destroyed

Some 158 light weapons were destroyed in the capital, Bangui, on Friday as part of a disarmament operation undertaken by the UN Mission in CAR (MINURCA). In a statement received by IRIN on Monday, MINURCA said the destroyed weapons, thrown into fire during a symbolic ceremony, were either defective or of unknown origin and had been recuperated by MINURCA or the former African MISAB forces since 1997. "This destruction of weapons constitutes....a systematic rejection of the instruments of war," UN Special Representative Oluyemi Adeniji was quoted as saying in the statement. He added this "proved that the people of CAR have understood that those instruments contribute to a form of regression and to hindering development". Some 1,590 light and heavy weapons - out of 2,507 that were looted - have been recuperated since the start of the operation, which followed clashes between army mutineers and MISAB forces in June 1997. Also collected were 500,000 bullets and 27,000 explosives, the statement said. Recuperated weapons that are not destroyed will be handed over to local authorities at the end of MINURCA's mandate. Meanwhile, UNDP has provided funds to compensate civilians who return weapons, the statement added.