Decades of armed civil war leaves Burundi in a state of underdevelopment and insecurity, with widespread and unsecured weapons caches presenting a clear threat to national security, local communities, and the country’s humanitarian situation. 

The destruction marks the first phase of an 8 month project funded by the U.S. State Department, which aims to reduce the threat of unsecured weapons caches throughout the country. This project was initated after MAG conducted a reconnaissance and assessment mission to Burundi that identified a significant threat from small arms and light weapons and a need to directly address the dangers weapons pose to innocent civilians. In the coming months MAG will destroy over 200 additional MANPADS and thousands of other weapons and munitions, improve the security of existing weapons storage, and build the capacity of the Burundian army through training and technical advisement.

The successful destruction of the MANPADS cache represents an important step forward in achieving the project’s goals. MAG is committed to assisting Burundi in removing the threat of the remanants of conflict and allowing its citizens to build their futures in safety.