Topic: Reducing the use of Indiscriminate Weapons in Conflict
Country: Rwanda
Delegate Name: Taegan Long
School: Forest Hills Eastern High School
Topic page: background guide and all position papers All Rwanda position papers GLIMUN 2016 committees
The use of Indiscriminate Weapons in conflict is important to the Disarmament and International Security Committee due to their job to remove these weapons and insure that civilian casualties are minimal. Indiscriminate Weapons are weapons that are unable to distinguish between civilian and military targets. This includes landmines, cluster bombs, chemical weapons, and incendiary weapons. Indiscriminate Weapons are split into two categories: Indiscriminate by nature, such as landmines and chemical weapons, and indiscriminate under certain situations, such as nuclear weapons and scud missiles. Rwanda is against the use of these weapons in conflict because they have seen the disastrous results during the Rwandan Genocide on April 7, 1994, within their own borders. According to an article by refworld.org, by the war's end, the Rwandan armed forces had expanded to at least 30,000 men, armed with a wide range of light arms, heavier guns, grenade launchers, landmines, and mid- and long-range artillery. Around 1 million civilian Rwandans died during the Rwandan Genocide, and an estimated 2 million people were displaced and became refugees. According to Survivors Fund, 6 men women and children died every minute for 3 months,and there were only around 400,000 survivors. The flood of light weapons and the introduction of heavier weapons systems contributed to thousands of civilian casualties and the displacement of hundreds of thousands more. These horrific statistics demonstrate Rwanda’s need to demand weaponry reforms. Rwanda has passed regulations and restrictions on guns following conflicts. Including laws regulating the use of guns and other weapons under the Rwanda National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons. The punishments for breaking any firearm laws are punishable with around 5 years in prison. Rwanda is also part of the Chemical Weapons Convention which is trying to regulate and cease use of chemical weapons. Rwanda is part of the Great Lake Region of Africa which has created a universal law towards small arms and securities in order to help diminish conflict. Rwanda is currently trying to make up for past mistakes which resulted in horrific amounts of deaths and casualties by helping to end the use of indiscriminate weaponry.
Indiscriminate weapons are a current issue in Rwanda because they are, and have been, used in conflicts. Currently Rwanda is trying to diminish and end conflict, by eliminating the use of these weapons within their borders, and the government is hoping to minimize casualties. Mainly conflict between the Tutsi tribes and the main cities is the source of the most conflict and highest rate of civilian casualty. On the national level they have used Small Arms and Securities in the Great Lake Region of Africa, Joined chemical weapons convention and have created the Rwanda National Focal Point and Small Arms and Light Weapons. They are also part of the African Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone Treaty and Protocols. These treaties and committees are designed to help decrease use of specific indiscriminate weapons in conflicts.
Rwanda is currently not in a state to provide worldwide change. Currently Rwanda is focused on internal issues. However, Rwanda’s recommendations for how to handle the use of indiscriminate weapons is to eliminate all use and existence. They also want committees and representatives ready to ensure that this process is taking place. Rwanda does not have the money or power to achieve these goals. So, Rwanda is relying on the DISEC committee of the UN to ensure that weapons that are indiscriminate by nature are banned from all conflicts, and that if weapons are not indiscriminate by nature that they are approved before use to prevent possible civilian casualties. Rwanda requires that the UN’s regulatory agencies review treaties between nations and ensure that these weapons are being handled correctly.
