Ex-fighters' weapons destroyed

2008-09-17 10:30

Brazzaville - Congolese authorities destroyed thousands of arms and munitions on Tuesday collected from ex-fighters in the country's civil conflicts.

The Republic of the Congo has been hit by several civil conflicts in recent years, including in 1997 in the Brazzaville region and between 1998 and 2003 in the country's south.

"The destruction of arms is proof that the violence from the recent past is receding and is in the process of being contained, even reduced," said Michel Balima of the UN Development Programme's Congo office.

"That is for the good of all Congolese."

Nearly 500 guns, 65 078 small-calibre munitions, 20 745 large-calibre munitions and 5 645 explosives were destroyed at a military facility north of the capital.

The arms were collected as part of a programme financed by Japan that involves 30 000 ex-fighters.

- AFP