Arms and aid: Air cargo taken to task

According to a report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), 90 per cent of the air cargo companies involved in arms trafficking to African countries have also been delivering humanitarian aid. “In some cases, air cargo companies are delivering both aid and weapons to the same conflict zones,” the report claimed.

The report, titled ‘Air Transport and Destabilising Commodity Flows’, said air cargo carriers involved in humanitarian aid and peacekeeping operations had also transported a range of other “conflictsensitive goods” such as weapons, drugs like cocaine, diamonds, coltan and other precious minerals.

The air cargo companies concerned have been used by major UN (United Nations) agencies, EU (European Union) and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) member states, defence contractors and some of the world’s leading NGOs (non-governmental organisations) to transport humanitarian aid, peacekeepers and peacekeeping equipment.

The report presents a range of options that could be adopted to tackle the problems. These include: Creating aid and peacekeeping contracts which ensure cargo carriers to adhere to an ethical transportation code of conduct; using existing air safety regulations to put companies involved in arms trafficking or destabilising commodity flows out of business; and specialised training for its civilian aid and military peacekeeping personnel to better identify suspect air cargo carriers.

“A co-ordinated response by the EU and the humanitarian aid community could require companies to choose between transporting arms or aid to conflict zones while air safety enforcement could put hard core arms dealers out of business,” said Mark Bromley, co-author of the report.

The report is available for free download at www.sipri.org