Official explains UNDP's role in disarmament process

The UN Development Programme (UNDP), through its Small Arms and Demobilisation Unit, Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery, will assist the government of the Central African Republic (CAR) to disarm, demobilise and reintegrate former combatants, an official told IRIN. UNDP Weapons and Ammunition Disposal Specialist Remi Vezina, who was on a two-week mission to the CAR, said on Saturday that the UN agency's assistance would be through the government's project for reintegrating former combatants and providing support to communities. During his two-week visit, Vézina met with CAR government officials and explained the processes and strategies of disarmament and reintegration of former combatants through the project, which was approved in February. He also called for the setting up of a follow-up coordination commission, comprising several ministries as well as representatives of civil society, that would ensure transparency in the decision-making process of the project. The UNDP's Small Arms and Demobilisation Unit, Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery will also assist the government in drafting its annual report on disarmament, due by 1 July, in line with the UN Programme of Action recommended by a UN conference held in New York on 9-20 July 2001 on the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons. During his mission, Vezina was preoccupied with preparing a comprehensive disarmament policy for the government. He said disarmament would be carried out in in the capital city of Bangui and in the towns of Sibut, Bossangoa and Bozoum. "In each area, there'll be a disarmament technician who'll proceed to take control of arms collected," he said. Weapons collected would be destroyed using grinders. "This will assure the ex-combatant handing over his arm and the community that the arm will not again be used against them and also guarantee transparency in the activities," he said. He added that the main challenge of the project was to raise awareness about the need to disarm and to convince the former combatants to hand over their weapons. However, he said reintegrating former combatants was a much more complex undertaking than destroying arms. "It must be determined whether or not the ex-combatant is genuine, his/her social and educational background must be identified thus the reintegration will be processed accordingly," he said.