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SALW Survey of Croatia

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SALW Survey of Croatia SALW Survey of Croatia SEESAC South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons ISBN 86-7728-015-4 9 7 8 8 6 7 7 2 8 0 1 5 4 SEESAC Internacionalnih Brigada 56, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse Tel. (+381) (11) 344 6353 / Fax. (+381) (11) 344 6356 for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons URL: www.seesac.org / Email: [email protected] SALW Survey of Croatia 1st Edition (2006-09-20) The South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SEESAC) has a mandate from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe (SCSP) to further support all international and national stakeholders by strengthening national and regional capacity to control and reduce the proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons, and thus contribute to enhanced stability, security and development in South Eastern and Eastern Europe. For further information contact: Head, SEESAC Internacionalnih Brigada 56 11000 Belgrade Serbia Tel: (+381) (11) 344 6353 Fax: (+381) (11) 344 6356 www.seesac.org SALW Survey of Croatia, SEESAC 2006 Acknowledgements This survey was researched and compiled at the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC) by Tobias Pietz, Rebekka Edelmann, and Elvan Isikozlu, with input from Wolf-Christian Paes and Ariane Buelens. The household survey and focus groups were conducted by PULS, Zagreb, under the supervision of Marko Vickovic. Editorial support and additional contributions were provided from Zack Taylor and Sanja Mihajlovic at UNDP Croatia. It was project managed and edited by Adrian Wilkinson, SEESAC with the support of Anya Hart Dyke, SEESAC. Cover photographs are courtesy of Tobias Pietz, and the Ministry of Defence, Croatia. Graphic design and layout was done by Katarina Stanković-Bjegović. SEESAC 2006 – All rights reserved ISBN: 86-7728-023-5 The views expressed in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Bonn International Center for Conversion, the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme or the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of the Bonn International Center for Conversion, the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme or the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe concerning 1) the legal status of any country, territory or area, or of its authorities or armed groups; or 2) concerning the delineation of its frontiers or boundaries. SALW Survey of Croatia 1st Edition (2006-09-20) Acronyms ATT Arms Trade Treaty BICC Bonn International Center for Conversion CAF Croatian Armed Forces CRC Croatian Red Cross DMA Department for Material Affairs DSC Delta Shooting Club EC European Commission ERW Explosive Remnants of War EU European Union EUFOR European Union Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina HK Heckler and Koch JNA Yugoslav People’s Army LTDP Long Term Development Plan MFAEI Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration MIA Ministry of Internal Affairs MoD Ministry of Defence MoE Ministry of Economy MoI Ministry of Interior MoJ Ministry of Justice NISAT Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers OSCE Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe PoA UN Programme of Action on SALW PSA Practical Shooting Association PSC Private Security Companies PTSD Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder RACVIAC Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Centre SALW Small Arms and Light Weapons SA-XD Springfield Armory Extreme Duty SEE South Eastern Europe SECI Southeast European Cooperation Initiative SEESAC South Eastern and Eastern Europe Clearinghouse for the Control of SALW UHBDDR Association of Croatian Homeland War Volunteers UNDP United Nations Development Programme UNSC United Nations Security Council UNTAES United Nations Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Westerns Sirmium USKOK Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organized Crime i SALW Survey of Croatia 1st Edition (2006-09-20) Executive Summary SALW Distribution n It is estimated that there are approximately 968,000 weapons in civilian hands, comprising 371,000 registered and 597,000 unregistered weapons. The number of registered firearms, per capita, is 20 percent of the figure in the United States, 40 percent of the figure in Serbia, 50 percent of the figure in BiH, 100 percent of the figure in Bulgaria and Switzerland, and 800 percent of the figure in Hungary. The estimated number of unregistered weapons constitutes a significant threat to public safety as evidenced by a comparatively high number of armed assaults, murders, robberies and suicides, and a challenge to state and regional security through the ongoing activities of serious and organised crime. n There is also a very significant SALW (weapon and ammunition) surplus stored in an excessive number of storage facilities. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the Ministry of Interior (MoI) between them continue to control approximately 250,000 surplus weapons in addition to millions of rounds of SALW related ammunition. As part of the Long Term Development Plan for the Croatian Armed Forces these SALW have been designated as surplus, however, no definitive decision has yet been taken on how to dispose of them. The maintenance of effective security provisions at each of the 40 storage sites involves an unnecessary financial burden and assistance should be made available to facilitate destruction. n The licit production of firearms in Croatia is centred on a single facility in Karlovac. The volume of production has been growing consistently in recent years with the United States market accounting for 90 percent of sales. Security at the facility appears to be satisfactory; however, the management of the business has been plagued by scandal. Increased overall transparency would serve to demonstrate effective management and control. Overall, exports accounted for US$ 12.3 million in 2004, the last year for which statistics are available. n The illicit production of firearms in Croatia is thought to continue, though clandestine facilities for producing and refurbishing firearms have been raided and closed during 2006. The continuing fashioning of specialist firearms for solely criminal purposes is a serious threat to public safety and border security across the EU. The law enforcement community, working in partnership with EU states and the US have demonstrated a renewed willingness to end illicit production. n Croatia remains a transit state for firearms trafficked from east to west and into the EU. The relative saturation of the Croatian market means there is little domestic demand for firearms from abroad with the partial exception of ‘boutique’ firearms. There is no evidence of high-volume, state-facilitated trafficking with the majority of interceptions classified as ‘ant’ [low volume] traffic. The vast ‘Green’ (land) and ‘Blue’ (river) border with Bosnia and Herzegovina presents serious challenges to border integrity and poses real problems for Croatia’s ability to fulfil Schengen acquis requirements. Current international assistance in this field should be intensified and further coordinated. SALW and Human Security n Overall, the level of reported and investigated crime in Croatia has not changed significantly over the course of the previous four years; however, the level of serious and organised armed crimes has increased by more than 50 percent over five years with armed assault, armed robbery and armed murder all rising year on year with one exception. More than 95 percent of organised armed crime is committed with unlicensed handguns. The increased incidence of armed crime versus other types of crime demonstrates the need to continue supporting initiatives designed to tackle the symbiotic problems of organised crime and illicit firearm (particularly handgun) ownership through more effective law enforcement, a more robust penal code and an enhanced judicial system. n It is estimated that approximately half a million people remain traumatized by the armed conflict of the 1990s. Traumatic disorders are more prevalent in the male population, especially among war veterans. Auto- aggressive (self-injurious) behaviour and the wide availability of weapons have led to a high number of male ii SALW Survey of Croatia 1st Edition (2006-09-20) suicides with guns. In general, the rate of suicides per capita is substantively above the EU average. Current support to veterans and sufferers of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) should be intensified, and the Law on Arms should include a robust provision to ensure PTSD sufferers are not able to access firearms. n There continues to be a high and disturbing level of armed domestic assaults, often involving people suffering from PTSD. No conclusive statistics exist on the exact number of such incidents, however, a sample period in early 2006 revealed an average of 12 incidents per month involving firearms used against family members or neighbours. In contrast to the type of firearm used to commit organised criminal acts, firearms used in domestic assaults and murders are a mixture of both registered and unregistered, with an apparently high number of firearms remnant from the war. This trend demonstrates the continuing need to tackle the linked problems of PTSD, domestic violence and unregistered firearms through enhanced law enforcement, awareness
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