Ammunition Stockpiling An Explosive Exercise
Stockpiling of ammunition intended for use by State security forces is a necessary but inherently hazardous practice. The stockpiling of damaged, redundant and obsolete ammunition in inappropriate facilities and locations, rather than its safe disposal and destruction, borders on gross negligence.
Stockpiling of ammunition intended for use by State security forces
is a necessary but inherently hazardous practice. The stockpiling of
damaged, redundant and obsolete ammunition in inappropriate facilities
and locations, rather than its safe disposal and destruction, borders
on gross negligence.
The devices stored in ammunition stockpiles were solely designed to
explode. The singular purpose complicates the management of ammunition
stockpiles. This predestined outcome implies that, in order to reduce
the threat to within acceptable levels, trained personnel are needed to
manage the risk of explosion. The current practice of piling
ammunition into a room somewhere in a compound – out of site of the
public - may therefore not be the best way to manage ammunition and
other explosive stockpiles.
History indicates that neglected ammunition stockpiles will, at some
point, explode without warning, resulting in significant property
damage and death. These explosions quickly become public knowledge and
bring the world’s attention to bear on the conditions of stockpiles in
the country. The international community will ask what the government
in question did to prevent the tragedy from occurring, and will be
criticised for not taking enough preventative action. In many cases
there was policy and legislation in place that compelled the
governments to effectively manage their ammunition stockpiles.
The last decade has seen at least 13 uncontrolled explosions in
Africa. The last known explosion took place in Tanzania, Dar es Salaam
on 30 April 2009. These types of explosions at ammunition stockpile
facilities have caused the demise of thousands of civilians and
thousands more have been injured. Thousands of people were displaced
from their homes in proximity to the ammunition storage facilities, and
there has been millions of dollars of property damage. There is also
the continuous risk that the area was not properly cleared of
unexploded explosives ordnance which may explode at any time because of
inherent instability after the explosion. The ammunition remaining in
the affected stockpiles may have become unstable due to the explosive
forces it was subjected to, leading to subsequent explosions.
This is the result of not adhering to basic explosives management
principles and not realising the risk inherent to ammunition and
explosives.
The public has to insist that the management of stockpiled arms and,
specifically, ammunition be subject to parliamentary oversight. The
oversight has to include the complete ammunition management process.
Parliamentarians have to determine if the current arms and ammunition
stockpile managers have the necessary training and qualifications to be
entrusted with the management of State stockpiles. The common
misconception is that the military, because they handle explosives and
ammunition on a daily basis, is qualified to stockpile ammunition
effectively. This is not generally the case; stockpile management is a
specialist field of study and only personnel trained in the management
of ammunition and explosives can be entrusted with its safekeeping.
Continuous monitoring and evaluation of the safety and operational
capability of arms and ammunition is vital throughout its lifespan and
should form the basis of weapon management of both military and police
arsenals.
Governments cannot afford to disregard the threat posed by mismanaged
arms and ammunition stockpiles. The current contents of stockpiles
have to be tested for stability and the devices that do not perform to
design specifications have to be dealt with before uncontrolled
explosions take place in the storage facility.
The effective management of stockpiles is to the advantage of State
security forces, as it will reduce the risk of ammunition performing
poorly when it is issued to personnel and it would increase the control
the State has over the amount of ammunition in State stockpiles. In
short, effective stockpile management will reduce the risk of loss of
life and will reduce the risk of ammunition being diverted from State
stockpiles for criminal use.
Ben Coetzee, Senior Researcher, Arms Management Programme
