Our Briefing Paper on monitoring civilian firearms in #borderlands offers a practical approach to enable county-level actors to track changes in civilian firearm possession over time, allowing for earlier risk identification and targeted #security responses: www.smallarmssurvey.org/index%2Ephp/...

Monitoring Civilian Firearms in Borderlands: A Framework For Trend Analysis And Estimation

Civilian firearms circulation in borderland and peripheral areas is difficult to monitor and quantify. Existing approaches often struggle to capture how firearms move through informal systems over…

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Another EU-LAS training delivered! Last week Suvery experts led a workshop focused on #weapons, #ammunition, and #stockpile #security and management. Hosted at the Sultan Qaboos Academy for Police Sciences in Nizwa, #Oman, participants included members from the Royal Oman Police and the Armed Forces

A new Reuter's investigation into Sudan’s logistics networks. The Survey supported this work by providing documentary evidence, investigative leads, & analysis developed over months of research into the companies, aircraft, & supply networks sustaining the conflict. www.reuters.com/investigatio...

From 29 June to 3 July 2026, 25 officers and personnel from the Comorian National Police, National Gendarmerie, and Comorian Defence Forces participated in a Survey-led workshop aimed at building stronger capacities for safer weapons and ammunition management in the Comoros.

This paper from our HSBA project examines the history of outsourced violence in the CAR, Chad, Libya, & Sudan. It argues that a durable peace could be possible if the cross-border financing & logistics networks that empower armed groups are constrained. www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/out...

A History of Outsourced Violence: The Rise of the Rapid Support Forces, Libyan National Army, and Wagner Group

In the war against the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces have relied on external backing and regional partnerships that extend well beyond Sudan’s borders. While these relationships…

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What does investigation of RSF fighters in possession of MANPADS reveal? Our new Briefing Paper on #MANPADS, the #RSF, and the war in #Sudan, published today, examines the RSF’s possession of MANPADS and assesses its implication for threat mitigation efforts: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/ars...

Arsenal Upgrades: MANPADS, the RSF, and the War in Sudan

Despite a 20-year international campaign to combat the threat from illicit man-portable air defence systems (MANPADS), acquisition and use of these weapons by non-state armed groups continues,…

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The use of IEDs constitutes a security issue but also disrupts humanitarian action, constrains development, and destabilizes peace efforts. How can the HDP Nexus help structure responses from a range of practitioners while preserving distinct mandates and principles? Read more:

From Fragmented Responses to Integrated Approaches: C-IED and the HDP Nexus

'Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) continue to cause deaths and injuries, endanger communities, and undermine both development and recovery across conflict and crime-affected contexts. Attacks on…

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Our #new 2025 #AnnualReport presents our contribution to addressing global shifting dynamics through field-based research, global #analysis, & practical entry points for more effective responses to armed #violence & illicit arms #proliferation: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/ann...

Annual Report 2025

2025 witnessed renewed geopolitical competition and ongoing conflicts fuel increased military expenditure and expansion of the global small arms market. Data collected proved that rising demand is…

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How can a country apply a whole-of-society approach to C-IED measures? Burkina Faso is an example. In 2024, the government launched a national strategy and action plan on C-IED that builds coordination mechanisms that include a wide array of stakeholders. smallarmssurvey.medium.com/more-than-mi...

More than Might: How inclusive and accountable strategies can transform C-IED responses

By Julien Joly and Paul Amoroso

smallarmssurvey.medium.com

A third training successfully delivered! In May, the Survey delivered a two-week training course on weapons and ammunition management #WAM in Rabat, #Morocco, under the EU-LAS III project, funded by the #EU.

Our new Briefing Paper proposes a structured way to analyze how firearms circulate within local systems, in order to monitor change over time and generate more plausible estimates of civilian holdings in data-constrained and complex environments. Read more here:

New methodology for tracking civilian firearm dynamics

Civilian firearms circulation in borderland and peripheral areas is difficult to monitor and quantify. Existing approaches often struggle to capture how firearms move through informal systems over…

bit.ly

How can civilian firearms circulation be monitored over time in borderland areas? Our new publications propose a framework that identifies local circulation patterns and produces estimate ranges grounded in observable indicators—allowing for early detection of emerging risks: https:/bit.ly/4arFqT8

New methodology for tracking civilian firearm dynamics

Civilian firearms circulation in borderland and peripheral areas is difficult to monitor and quantify. Existing approaches often struggle to capture how firearms move through informal systems over…

bit.ly

How can the HDP Nexus help structure responses from humanitarian, development, and peace practitioners to IED threats, while preserving distinct mandates and principles? Read our new blog post: bit.ly/3RpPlCl

From Fragmented Responses to Integrated Approaches: C-IED and the HDP Nexus

'Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) continue to cause deaths and injuries, endanger communities, and undermine both development and recovery across conflict and crime-affected contexts. Attacks on ci...

bit.ly

The political ascent of South Sudan’s former Vice-President Benjamin Bol Mel was meteoric, and his downfall was just as rapid. Our Situation Update traces Bol Mel’s political career, from businessman, to Vice-President, to dismissal and house arrest. www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/wun...

Wun Weng’s Victory: The Rise and Fall of Benjamin Bol Mel

Salva Kiir has ruled South Sudan for two decades. Now 74, in poor health, and having postponed national elections to 2026, the question of succession has been a steady feature of political debate in…

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Preparation saves lives. In Ukraine, new training from CENSS, the Survey and NPA teaches frontline service providers how to identify threats, apply de-escalation techniques and develop safe behaviour protocols to prevent armed violence by civilians. More here: censs.org/the-center-f...

Have there been notable shifts in the mechanics of illicit firearms trafficking in the Caribbean, including with respect to maritime trafficking from the US? Find out in our 2025 Report on firearm-related violence and trafficking in the Caribbean: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/pat...

Pathway to Policy: Firearms Trafficking and Public Health in the Caribbean

The Caribbean region continues to suffer from high levels of firearm-related violence, with worrying developments that include the recruitment of children and adolescents into armed gangs, shootings…

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We were delighted to welcome Raymond Johansen, Secretary General of Norwegian People’s Aid (Norsk Folkehjelp), and his team to the Survey this week—not only to celebrate the opening of their new offices in Geneva, but also to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between our organizations.

How can states effectively address the gendered impacts of unplanned explosions at munitions sites? Our blog post discusses a recent case study of a #UEMS in Africa and highlights the need for greater research and data: smallarmssurvey.medium.com/explosions-a...

Explosions accidentelles dans les dépôts de munitions : impacts sexospécifiques

Par Callum Watson et Mines Advisory Group

smallarmssurvey.medium.com

Latin America accounted for only 2.8% of reported global small arms imports and 6.3% of exports from 2019-2024. Yet, about 10% of the region’s imports concerned military firearms—well above the global average of 5.6%. Read more here: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/aut...

The Survey’s Manon Blancafort recently co-authored an article with Yulia Yarina that provides an overview of drug and firearm trafficking interlinks in the Caribbean, pointing to a possible nexus between the two: www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

The confluence of crime: mapping the nexus between arms and drug trafficking in the Caribbean

The Caribbean region has emerged as an epicentre of transnational organised crime, where firearms are not only tools of protection but also increasingly function as both currency and commodities wi...

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Firearms cannot maim and kill without ammunition, yet their seizures are frequently overlooked when not accompanied by firearms. Our 2025 blog post on ammunition seizures in the Caribbean highlights notable trends as well as the impact on public health: smallarmssurvey.medium.com/the-bullet-t...

The Bullet Trail: A Year of Ammunition Seizures in the Caribbean and What They Mean for Public…

By Yulia Yarina

smallarmssurvey.medium.com

Last week, the Survey participated in a panel discussion, hosted by @new-york-un.diplo.de and #CostaRica about firearms roadmaps and their impact on regional initiatives to counter proliferation and armed violence. Drawing on experiences from our #Caribbean project, we highlighted 3 main takeaways:

Pathway to policy: integrating security and public health responses to firearms trafficking and violence in the Caribbean

The project aims to enhance the regional integration of the security and public health responses to firearms trafficking and violence, and to create and support an effective pathway from…

smallarmssurvey.org

What are some critical issues in regulating explosive precursor chemicals (EPCs), which can be used to make IEDs, that policymakers should avoid? Our podcast on EPCs discusses the dos and don’ts to achieve effective EPC regulation: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/sma...

Small Arms Survey Podcast #56: Regulating Explosive Precursor Chemicals

The dual-use nature of explosive precursor chemicals (EPCs) makes implementing counter-improvised explosive device (C-IED) measures complicated. These chemicals are misused to manufacture improvised…

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Between 2015 and 2021, in the context of conflict, 7.62 x 51 mm was the top calibre of ammunition seized in Central Sahel while in the Middle East it was 7.62 x 39 mm. See more of our joint analysis with CAR in our 2025 infographic: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/reg...

The regional profiles of illicit small-calibre ammunition (2015-2021)

Under the Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management, States committed to enhance the marking and tracing of conventional ammunition under national ownership and control…

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As violence escalates in #SouthSudan, earlier analysis remains highly relevant. Our #BriefingPaper shows how political dynamics have long driven fragmentation and instability, and how these same dynamics continue to shape the current escalation: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/bri...

On The Brink: The Politics of Violence in South Sudan

South Sudan is once again on the brink of war. The regime of South Sudanese President Salva Kiir is bombing civilians and detaining the opposition, while foreign embassies close and evacuate staff.…

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The Survey recently led 2 workshops in Kenya, bringing together diverse stakeholders to test and refine an evidence-based methodology that reflects how firearms circulate, allowing estimates to be based on the dynamics that shape distribution and possession.

As of early 2025, NATO-pattern weapons continued to be available in informal markets in #Afghanistan and #Pakistan according to our #BriefingPaper based on almost three years of field investigations. Read more here: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/ope...

Open Markets: Documenting Arms Availability in Afghanistan under the Taliban

More than three years after the Taliban’s takeover and its seizure of the previous regime’s weapons stockpiles, the de facto authorities have taken steps to exert control over arms and ammunition in…

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Our last HSBA Situation Update of 2025 looked at how the links between the RSF in Sudan, the Libyan National Army, the Wagner Group, and the United Arab Emirates represent a convergence of local, regional, and global trends in the outsourcing of warfare: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/out...

A History of Outsourced Violence: The Rise of the Rapid Support Forces, Libyan National Army, and Wagner Group

In the war against the Sudanese Armed Forces, the Rapid Support Forces have relied on external backing and regional partnerships that extend well beyond Sudan’s borders. While these relationships…

smallarmssurvey.org

A whole-of-society approach to countering the threat of IEDs situates military or law enforcement roles within a wider framework of accountability & cooperation. More in our blog post on how inclusive & accountable strategies can transform C-IED responses: smallarmssurvey.medium.com/more-than-mi...

More than Might: How inclusive and accountable strategies can transform C-IED responses

By Julien Joly and Paul Amoroso

smallarmssurvey.medium.com

Two conflicts are being fought in South Sudan: a political one in Juba and a bloody one across the rest of the country. This 2025 Briefing Paper examines the Nuer white armies, their role in opposing the government, and what their empowerment reveals: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/cou...

A Country for Old Men: The State of the Nuer White Armies of South Sudan

In Thuok Riekni, the camp of the SPLM/A-IO-loyal Gawaar Nuer prophet Makuach Tut, one can grasp the predicament of South Sudan’s present. The government has completely withdrawn from service…

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