ONLY A HANDFUL of African countries have the capacity to manufacture
arms and ammunition with South Africa topping the list. The small
arms component of the South African industry comprises less than
ten manufacturers and their output is insignifi cant in terms of the
global small arms trade. Further, because national governments
tightly monitor and regulate African manufacturers, very limited
numbers of African-manufactured arms and ammunition enter the
illegal market.
Instead, small arms are seized or stolen from government forces,
looted from state armouries, purchased from corrupt soldiers
and stolen from private owners. Similarly, peacekeepers are
occasionally relieved of (or voluntarily part with) their small arms,
which often end up in rebel arsenals. The ambush of Guinean
peacekeepers in January 2000, for example, netted Sierra Leonean
rebels more than 550 weapons, including assault rifl es, machine
guns, rocket-propelled grenades and two tons of ammunition.