The more than 100 governments attending the Fourth Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions this week should strongly condemn Syria’s use of the weapon, said the Cluster Munition Coalition as the meeting opened Monday in Lusaka.
Syrian government forces began using cluster munitions in 2012 and the use has continued into 2013, causing numerous civilian casualties, according to Cluster Munition Monitor 2013, the annual report of the Cluster Munition Coalition.
“Three years after becoming international law, this Convention is making a real impact in ridding the world of cluster munitions, but problems such as use of the weapon in Syria remain,” said Sarah Blakemore, Director of the Cluster Munition Coalition.
“Ensuring more countries join the Convention on Cluster Munitions is an important means of strengthening the global stigma against use of this indiscriminate weapon. We call on all countries that have not yet joined the Convention to do so without delay.”
A total of 112 countries have already signed or acceded to the 2008 Convention on Cluster Munitions, which prohibits the use, production, transfer, and stockpiling of cluster munitions, and requires the clearance of cluster munition remnants within 10 years as well mandating assistance for victims.
Of these countries, 83 are States Parties while the other 29 have signed but not yet ratified the Convention.
Representatives of governments, UN organizations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Cluster Munition Coalition including cluster munition survivors from Ethiopia, Laos, Tajikistan and Vietnam will attend the meeting, which was opened President Michael Chilufya Sata.
This is the first time the meeting will be held in Africa, previous meetings of the Convention were held in Lao PDR, Lebanon, and Norway.
Nearly all of the 49 states in Sub-Saharan Africa including Zambia have joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions, with the exception of Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Mauritius, South Sudan, Sudan, and Zimbabwe.
Nineteen African countries have signed but not ratified the Convention. Cluster munitions have been used in several African countries, including in Angola, Chad, DR Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Uganda, and Zambia.
Look, its America who used Cluster bombs, White Phosphorus, & depleated uranium, on civilians in Faluja Iraq. Birth defects in Faluja are the highest on earth since America brought “Democracy” to the now suffering people of Iraq. Israel used White Phosphorus on civilians in Lebanon few years ago, & still counting. Now spare us this self righteous cr*p, by focusing on Syria, as we know soon you will brings democracy to them as well which I know is Mass slaughter, birth defects, & a nation awash with. Al-Quaida, ask the Libyans, I understand the are now enjoying their new found democracy. By the way, this white phosphorus & cluster bombs are banned by the United Nations. What’s the wonderful I.C.C. gonna do about it?? The hard evidence is there.
Ok ine campita icisungu finshi fima cluster
A cluster munition is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller submunitions. Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill personnel and destroy vehicles. Other cluster munitions are designed to destroy runways or electric power transmission lines, disperse chemical or biological weapons, or to scatter land mines. Some submunition-based weapons can disperse non-munitions, such as leaflets!
Iwe Observer, someone says fyamupita ifisungu and instead of giving a simple definition in a layman’s language you decide to copy and paste an answer from google trying to show that you’re smart. Mwana, remember we now live in a world of IT, so you can’t fool anyone. To be frank this term ‘cluster munition’ is new to me and I’m sure the same applies to you.
what’s this?
First of all USA must be punished for using cluster bombs in Iraq and Zionist state of Israel for using phosphorus and uranium in Lebanon. The UN and the West must stop using double standards on Syria .Obama is only trying to protect Israel from its Arabs enemies. The world should not be fooled by Obama
You are the Fool!!! who does not know anything and so ignorant!! Dont you know that Obama and may other nations are doing just right to protect the State of Israel for its enemies!! and as a Christian nation we neeed to protect and pray for the peace of Israel…There is no Controversy!!
I think cluster bombs are the kind which splashes in small particles like for example small needles, small broken glass like sharper particles of a bomb, really tiny very leathal, i dont know i saw it in a movie, am just assuming anyway but that should give you the idea.
By the way, a human being is the worst weapon of mass distruction to have ever existed, wipe out human kind and the world is a better place to ever be in existence!
Im very happy to see The President standing next to Hon Simuusa. What a humble engineer, gentleman turned politician. Well mannered fellow who makes you feel importannt even if u maybe just an ordinary person. Ba President twatotela we thought uyu muntu limbi tamwamwishiba. God bless both of u. As u can see from my fluent bemba im not Tonga. I end here.
Cluster munition, huh this term. Online search! Cluster means a group of the same or similar elements gathered or occurring closely together. Munition means the materials used for war. These people meeting for the ban of these bombs are useless. why not fight for the ban of bomb manufacturing. The difference between an ordinary bomb and a cluster bomb is the same except that a cluster bomb is a cluster bomb has a hundred or more sub bombs in it. Where is uncle Ndobo to talk sense into these people.
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