Destruction of cluster bombs in Ivory Coast
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø’s team in the Ivory Coast recently played a leading role in the destruction of the country’s last remaining stocks of cluster munitions. ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø worked with elements of the Force Republicain de Cote d’Ivoire (FRCI), the Ivorian Army, to destroy 68 soviet manufactured RBK250-275 aircraft bombs. Each of these bombs contains 150 sub-munitions, meaning that in total 10,200 bomblets were destroyed. The presence and nature of these bombs was first identified during ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø’s Emergency survey in 2011.
The disposal operation took place between 29th January and 2nd February 2013 and were conducted at Lomo Nord Central Demolition Site, 40km south east of Yamoussoukro (180km north west of Abidjan).This is the same location where ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø assisted in the destruction of the last known stocks of anti-personnel landmines in the country in 2012.
ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø’s technical assistance and leadership have helped the Ivory Coast move closer to ratification of both the Mine-Ban Treaty and the Cluster Munitions Treaty.
