- 1 March at Mugera in Bugendana commune, around 8pm: Four bandits armed with AK47 rifles and dressed in military uniforms broke into a shop, stealing several items. When police intervened they exploded a grenade injuring one person. No arrests were made [1].

- 2 March at Kayange in Rugazi commune, around 1am: An unidentified person threw a grenade into a family residence killing a woman and her child [2].

- 3 March at Ntamba in Musigati commune, around 7pm: Following a conflict over land, a person was injured by a grenade exploded by his brother who was later arrested by police [3].

- Between 2 February and 6 March: 3,394 hand-grenades were destroyed in controlled demolitions by a joint MAG/ Police Nationale Burundaise (PNB) team.

In Burundi, grenade incidents are happening daily. In February 2009 alone, 18 grenade attacks were reported by the BINUB (UN integrated mission in Burundi) security office, and in many more cases bandits were armed with grenades but did not explode them.

Grenades are widely available in the civilian population and frequently used by bandits, who explode them before leaving crime scenes, as well as in local disputes over family and land issues. Accidents also happen when children play with grenades, unaware of the risks.

MAG has been present in the country since 2007, supporting the Government of Burundi in reducing the threat posed by unsecure stockpiles of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW). In July 2008, a joint MAG/Police Nationale Burundaise (PNB) team was created, to collect and destroy SALW that had been voluntarily handed-over or seized by the PNB as part of the civilian disarmament campaign launched by the Government in 2006.

Until the creation of the mobile team, collected SALW were left in police stations. However the police stations themselves are often not secure enough, with risks of theft or even of police officers trafficking the SALW. Recognising the risks, the PNB requested MAG's support, which is now provided by the MAG Survey Teams and the MAG Mobile Team. Eight PNB officers were seconded to MAG and trained in the identification, transport and destruction of SALW.

Since August 2008, the joint MAG/PNB mobile team has collected more than 2,500 weapons and 65,000 items of ammunition, and destroyed 2,483 weapons and 18,919 ammunition. This includes the 3,394 hand-grenades destroyed between 2 February and 6 March.

The destruction of these grenades, weapons and other SALW ensures they will not be re-used to kill or maim innocent civilians - a direct and significant contribution to human security in Burundi.

A decrease in violent crimes will also support the transition to a culture of peace. Burundi's population is still highly marked by the decade-long civil war which started in 1993, killed 300,000, and destroyed the economy of this small country lying in the heart of Africa.

Taking away and destroying these SALW by a common effort of the Police supported by MAG will also prevent them from being trafficked cross-border into the countries of the Great Lakes Region, thus supporting regional peacebuilding.

In 2009-2010, MAG will continue to support the civilian disarmament campaign, as well as implement a comprehensive Physical Security and Stockpile Management (PSSM) project with the PNB. This will improve the PNB's capacity to control its SALW through the destruction of surplus and obsolete SALW, improvement of the physical security of the armouries and training of the armourers.

Notes:

[1] BINUB Security Sitrep, 2 March 09; [2] BINUB Security Sitrep, 2 March 09; [3] BINUB Security Sitrep, 4 March 09

For more information on MAG's work in Burundi please visit www.maginternational.org/burundi.