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Africa’s contribution to putting an end to nuclear explosions Africa and nuclear disarmament Africa and the CTBT African States play an important role in worldwide Of Africa’s 54 States, 51 had signed the Comprehensive efforts to achieve nuclear non-proliferation and Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and 44 had also disarmament. All African States except newly ratified it by mid-2015. Mauritius, Somalia and independent South Sudan are parties to the South Sudan have yet to sign the Treaty. The States Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which that have signed but not yet ratified are: Comoros, aims at preventing the spread of nuclear weapons Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Sao Tome and weapons technology, advancing nuclear and Principe, Swaziland, and Zimbabwe. Egypt’s disarmament, and facilitating the peaceful uses of ratification is of particular importance as this is nuclear energy. The continent is also the world’s required for the Treaty’s entry into force. most recent and largest nuclear-weapon-free zone. TUNISIA MOROCCO ALGERIA LIBYAN ARAB EGYPT JAMAHIRIYA / MAURITANIA MALI NIGER CAPE VERDE SENEGAL CHAD ERITREA SUDAN GAMBIA BURKINA FASO GUINEA-BISSAU DJIBOUTI GUINEA BENIN NIGERIA SIERRA LEONE TOGO CENTRAL ETHIOPIA CôTE D'IVOIRE AFRICAN REPUBLIC SOUTH CAMEROON SUDAN LIBERIA GHANA KENYA UGANDA SOMALIA EQUATORIAL GUINEA SAO TOME AND PRINCIPE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC GABON CONGO OF THE CONGO RWANDA BURUNDI SEYCHELLES UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA ANGOLA COMOROS MALAWI ZAMBIA MOZAMBIQUE MADAGASCAR ZIMBABWE MAURITIUS STATES THAT HAD RATIFIED THE BOTSWANA CTBT BY MID-2015 NAMIBIA ARE SHOWN IN GREEN, STATES SWAZILAND THAT HAD SIGNED BUT NOT RATIFIED LESOTHO ARE IN BLUE. THOSE IN RED The boundaries and presentation of material on this map does SOUTH AFRICA HAVE NEITHER not imply the expression of any opinion on the part of the SIGNED NOR Provisional Technical Secretariat concerning the legal status RATIFIED. of any country, territory, city or area or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. AFRICA'S CONTRIBUTION TO PUTTING AN END TO NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS PAGE 1 CTBTO EXECUTIVE SECRETARY LASSINA ZERBO SPEAKING AT THE 2015 NUCLEAR NON- CTBTO EXECUTIVE SECRETARY LASSINA ZERBO (CENTRE) FROM BURKINA FASO WITH THE PROLIFERATION TREATY (NPT) REVIEW CONFERENCE, UN HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK, PRESIDENT OF THE ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES, KADRÉ DÉSIRÉ USA, 29 APRIL 2015. (CREDIT: UN PHOTO/ESKINDER DEBEBE) OUEDRAOGO (RIGHT), OPERATIONS CENTRE OF THE INTERNATIONAL DATA CENTRE (IDC), CTBTO, VIENNA, AUSTRIA, APRIL 2015. FAR LEFT: RANDY BELL, DIRECTOR, IDC DIVISION; FAR RIGHT: PATRICK GRENARD, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY. “… As we prepare for the 19th anniversary of the adoption of the CTBT, the African Group stresses The CTBT the importance of achieving universal adherence to this instrument, bearing in mind the special The 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty responsibilities of nuclear-weapon States in this (CTBT) bans all nuclear explosions. By mid-2015, regard and to encourage the remaining Annex 2 183 States had signed and 164 had also ratified the States, in particular nuclear-weapon States to sign Treaty. Of the 44 nuclear technology holding States and ratify the CTBT without further delay, in order whose ratification is needed for the Treaty’s entry to allow its entry into force. The achievement of such into force, eight have yet to ratify: China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the an objective will contribute to the process of nuclear United States. India, North Korea and Pakistan have disarmament and in bringing us to a significant step also yet to sign the Treaty. of realizing the objective of NPT.” Ambassador U. Joy Ogwu from Nigeria delivering a statement on behalf of the Africa Group at the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty the CTBT (also known as the Article XIV conference) (NPT) Review Conference, New York, USA, April 2015. in New York. Both countries led the entry-into-force process from 2009 to 2011, when Taïb Fassi Fihri, the African States participate actively in the work Foreign Minister of Morocco, reported that: “Over the of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty last two years, Morocco and France have undertaken Organization (CTBTO). Several representatives of a number of official steps at the multilateral, regional African States have presided over the CTBTO’s and bilateral level to accelerate the ratification process executive body. These include the very first of the CTBT.” Chairperson from South Africa from 1996 to 1997, two from Algeria in 1999 and 2005, and one from Regional security Namibia in 2010. Africa’s active participation in the work of the Leading the CTBT entry-into-force process CTBTO is a reflection of the continent’s continuing efforts to promote regional and international security. Morocco together with France presided over the 2009 In 1963, African leaders adopted a resolution on Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of “General Disarmament”, expressing their support for PAGE 2 AFRICA'S CONTRIBUTION TO PUTTING AN END TO NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS AMBASSADOR SELMA ASHIPALA-MUSAVYI OF NAMIBIA, CHAIRPERSON OF THE CTBTO STUDENTS FROM MALI IN LEIPZIG, THEN EAST GERMANY, PROTESTING AGAINST THE IN 2010. FIRST FRENCH NUCLEAR TEST ON 13 FEBRUARY 1960. a nuclear-weapon-free world. This commitment was issues. On 13 February 1960, France detonated its re-affirmed by the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free first nuclear device at Reggane in the Sahara desert Zone Treaty (Pelindaba Treaty) when it opened for in Algeria. This atmospheric explosion was followed signature in 1996 - see ‘African Nuclear-Weapon- by three more at the same location. From 1961 to Free Zone’ on page 4 for more information. The 1966, France conducted a series of 13 underground creation of the African Union in July 2002 further nuclear explosions at its test site at the Hoggar strengthened Africa’s commitment to regional Mountains near In Ekker, in the Algerian Sahara. and international peace and stability. African leaders recognized that security is a prerequisite South Africa – former nuclear for sustainable economic development and human weapons possessor welfare. At the southern end of the continent, a nuclear Africa’s nuclear history weapons development programme took shape between the 1960s and 1980s. During this time, South Africa The African continent’s own history in the area developed a small arsenal of six nuclear bombs. of nuclear testing and the development of nuclear weapons has led to the active engagement of African Towards the end of apartheid in 1990, South States in nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament Africa voluntarily renounced and dismantled its nuclear weapons programme. All nuclear devices were “This Treaty which commits each State to refrain from conducting a nuclear test explosion or any other kind of nuclear explosion and to prevent The CTBTO any explosion of this type anywhere under its jurisdiction or control will, without question, The Vienna-based Comprehensive Nuclear-Test- contribute to nuclear disarmament and the non- Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) is tasked proliferation of such weapons around the world.” with building up and maintaining the CTBT Basile Ikouébé, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of verification regime. It also promotes signatures the Republic of the Congo, at the CTBT Ministerial Meeting, New and ratifications of the Treaty. York, USA, 26 September 2014 (translated from French). AFRICA'S CONTRIBUTION TO PUTTING AN END TO NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS PAGE 3 RADIONUCLIDE STATION RN43 IN NOUAKCHOTT, MAURITANIA. INFRASOUND STATION IS19 IN DJIBOUTI, DJIBOUTI. destroyed. Shortly after in 1991, South Africa acceded momentum for the Treaty to be finalized. The to the NPT as a non-nuclear weapon State. Treaty is named after Pelindaba, where South Africa developed its nuclear weapons programme and hosts African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone a nuclear research centre. The Pelindaba Treaty, establishing the African Benefits of the CTBT Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, came into effect on 15 July 2009 when Burundi ratified the treaty. It was A State gains a number of political benefits when the 28th State to do so, thus meeting the treaty’s signing and ratifying the CTBT. It subscribes to requirements for entry into force. This makes the an important norm in the field of nuclear non- African continent the world’s most recent nuclear- proliferation and disarmament. A CTBTO Member weapon-free zone and the largest in terms of State joins forces with other like-minded States countries and size. The entire southern hemisphere is that have committed themselves to rid the world of now an area free of nuclear weapons. nuclear weapons. The French nuclear tests in the Algerian desert There are also wide-ranging technical benefits in the 1960s triggered the first initiative towards for CTBTO Member States. Technology is transferred creating a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Africa. In to a State, for example, through the building of 1961, the United Nations General Assembly endorsed monitoring facilities on its territory. The availability it by adopting a resolution calling for a zone free of CTBTO monitoring data and analysis reports of nuclear weapons in Africa. South Africa’s contribute to capacity-building as well as to scientific renouncement and dismantling of its nuclear weapons research and technological advances. Moreover, and its accession to the NPT provided the necessary CTBTO data can help disaster mitigation efforts, in particular for tsunami early warning and aviation “We want to see a synergy between the CTBT safety. and the Pelindaba Treaty, because they augment Only nationals of CTBT Signatory States may each other. We have decided that Africa will be work in the organization. As of mid-2015, roughly a nuclear-weapon-free zone and that is what the 40 of around 250 staff members at the CTBTO came CTBT is seeking to do on a global scale.” from Africa. Since August 2013, the organization has Ambassador Selma Ashipala-Musavyi of Namibia, Chairperson been headed by Lassina Zerbo (Burkina Faso).

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