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VP calls for public awareness on chemical weapons
2006-10-17 09:07:48
By Hannah Mwandoloma
African leaders have been urged to initiate and extend intensive programmes on advocacy and defensive civil programmes to enable their citizens to understand the United Nations’ chemical weapons convention.
Speaking during the opening session of the Fourth Regional Meeting of National Authorities in Africa at Dar es Salaam yesterday, the Vice President, Dr Ali Mohamed Shein, said many people in African countries do not understand issues relating to chemical disarmament and the chemical weapons convention.
”We cannot deny that most of our people do not have the awareness, but history shows us that chemical weapons had been used in many countries like Angola, Guinea Bissau, Egypt, Mozambique and Zimbabwe,” said Dr Shein.
He added that horrors arising from use of chemical weapons cannot be forgotten by people in the countries affected, be it in Iraq, Iran or Europe, which were affected by the weapons during World Wars I and II.
National authorities on the prohibition of chemical weapons in Africa have been meeting annually, this being the fourth time to discuss on the opportunities to deliberate free the continent, and the world as a whole from development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical Weapons and their destruction.
Dr Shein told the participants of the two-day meeting that Tanzania does not posses, nor does it intend to acquire chemical weapons, saying the country takes pride in the promotion of peace talks, and confidence building.
Among 180 state parties in the Organisation of Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), 48 countries are from Africa and they have acceded to the chemical weapons convention, aiming at attaining universality of the convention on the weapons.
Speaking on behalf of the director general of OPCW, John Makubalo said the organisation has the responsibility of promoting awareness of the people on the implementation of the chemical weapons convention so that their views and suggestions are heard.
Makubalo said up to now, only five states in Africa have not joined the convention, adding that for active members, they need to have an action plan and prepare the draft of a national legislation for those who have not submitted them.
The first meeting in Africa was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, the second was in Harare, Zimbabwe and Abuja in Nigeria and this one in Dar es Salaam to evaluate the progress and the difficulties encountered in the domestication of the convention.
Out of 48 states in Africa, only 31 countries participated in the meeting that involved other ministers, ambassadors and other stakeholders.
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