Enemy within
Even before South Sudan declares its independence next week, it is already fighting at least half a dozen rebel movements.
On a video recording obtained by the BBC, hundreds of southern fighters jog rhythmically in a wide circle, singing and flaunting their new weapons.
The apparently joyous scenes in the video clash violently with a bloody reality: The rebel groups have fought on numerous occasions with the southern army, and represent a great threat to the stability of the new state.
The motivations of the rebels vary, but most of their leaders are former senior officers in the southern army, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), or militia leaders who fought with Sudan's government during the 21-year year civil war, which ended in a peace deal paving the way for the south's independence.
One of the rebel groups, Peter Gadet's South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA), says it is fighting corruption, lack of development, and the domination of the Dinka ethnic group.
The Dinkas form South Sudan's biggest ethnic group, and are accused of holding most of the key position in the southern army and government.
Spending on the SPLA accounts for more than a quarter of South Sudan's budget, and is about three times as much as the money spent on health and education combined.
In part, this is a recognition of the threat posed by the rebel groups and the old enemies in Khartoum.
But most of the money goes on salaries, and the senior UN official in South Sudan, David Gressley, recently said the army should be halved after independence.
South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA) led by Peter Gadet (above), who deserted from the southern army, having once fought for Khartoum Another rebel group is led by George Athor , formerly a general in the SPLA, who took up arms after losing the 2010 governorship elections in Jonglei state as an independent Johnson Oliny's ethnic Shilluk militia attacked the major town of MalakalRightly or wrongly, Juba sees the hand of Khartoum in every fresh mutiny, with serious consequences for relations between the two.
During the two-decade-long civil war, the north made a habit of funding rival groups to weaken the SPLA.
Even South Sudan's Vice-President Riek Machar once split off from the SPLA.
Small Arms Survey - News
"One of the most devastating impacts of the resurgence of violence in Unity [state] is the re-mining of roads cleared of war-time mines by UN and international demining groups since 2005," the Small Arms Survey pointed out in a recent report.
Second, I relied on highly regarded secondary source material from the Small Arms Survey and cross-checked it with Jane's. Neither has the AK 103 in Libya's inventory. The photograph Nic points to, of pro-Qadhafi forces with an AK 103, does however
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The most advanced MANPADS—which include a launcher, battery and missile packed into a launch tube resting on the operator's shoulder—can hit an aircraft at a range of up to 8 kilometers, according to a January report (pdf) by the Small Arms Survey,
According to the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey, this weapon has not been distributed to any countries in the Middle East or Africa: it is in use in state forces in Eastern Europe, South and Central Asia and South America (Hugo Chavez can be seen
Survey results found that a third of respondents (32 percent) mistakenly believed that floaties were safer than arms-reach supervision. "Arkansas has already suffered more than one loss of life from drowning this year in home pools as well as on our
Press conference on 2008 Small Arms Survey | ReliefWeb
As delegates gathered in New York to consider the implementation of the Programme of Action on the illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons, the Small Arms Survey 2008: Risks and Resilience , was launched at a Headquarters press conference this morning.
The book is the eighth annual review of global small arms issues, which is produced by a team of researchers based in Geneva, Switzerland, and a worldwide network of local researchers. The publication was presented by the head of the Swiss delegation to the Conference on Disarmament, Jürg Streuli; Keith Krause, Programme Director of the Small Arms Survey; and Jennifer Hazen, Senior Researcher for the Survey.
As explained by the speakers, the Survey includes two main thematic sections. The first one addresses the problem of diversion as related to stockpiles, international transfers and end-user documentation, and includes a case study of South Africa. The second thematic section analyses the public health approach to armed violence, scrutinizing risk and resilience factors and considering related interventions. It includes case studies of armed violence in El Salvador and the United States. The volume also contains a chapter on light weapons production.
Opening the press conference, Mr. Streuli said that the publication explored a number of topics that would be the focus of attention at the biennial small arms and light weapons review meeting this week, including the need for better stockpile management and stockpile destruction to keep weapons from the illicit market. Another issue addressed by the Survey was end-user certification, which examined whether States were meeting their obligations under the Programme of Action. Unfortunately, preliminary findings indicated that States rarely engaged in some of the most basic verification procedures. Also of great interest to the participants of the meeting would be the section on public health and armed violence.
Highlighting the key findings of the Survey, Mr. Krause said that unauthorized transfer of small arms and light weapons to the illicit market represented a serious problem, fuelling crime, insurgency and violence. According to the Survey researchers, annually, some 650,000 civilian firearms leaked out of lawful holdings into illicit circuits. There was also a leakage from formal military stocks and diversion at various stages of the weapons trade and transfers.
RT : Watch this space- Small Arms Survey 2011: States of Security official launch in Geneva on Wed, 6 July, 1pm (CET). 
RT : Watch this space- Small Arms Survey 2011: States of Security official launch in Geneva on Wed, 6 July, 1pm (CET). 
Watch this space- Small Arms Survey 2011: States of Security official launch in Geneva on Wed, 6 July, 1pm (CET). 
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An independent research project serving as the principal international source of public information on all aspects of small arms and armed violence.