Nuclear security in Africa to receive €7 million boost

Is Africa the next nuclear frontier? Perhaps not, but nuclear material is as temtping to terrorists — and as dangerous to the rest of us — whether it is stolen from an old army depot in the former Soviet Union or from a research facility in an African country. Al Qaeda and affliated organizations have been increasingly active in Africa, especially in Somalia and Morocco. Awareness of this has just led the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to commit close to €7 million for improving nuclear and radiological security in Africa, after the European Union approved funds to bolster the IAEA´s activities in the continent. The €7 million grant is the single largest contribution to the IAEA’s Nuclear Security Fund, which was set up to improve nuclear security worldwide following the 9/11 attacks. The money will rollout to new and existing nuclear security activities in 35 countries, including 27 African States. Companies in the business of securing nuclear materials should be interested in the IAEA’s plans to target the newly available funds to upgrade physical protection of nuclear materials and facilities in the countries, secure vulnerable radioactive sources, and combat illicit trafficking in nuclear and radioactive materials.

The IAEA´s security activities are largely funded through its Nuclear Security Fund. This latest EU contribution brings the total received to $53 million from 26 countries and organizations since March 2002. Earlier work undertaken jointly by the EU and IAEA in 2006 has identified countries where nuclear security needs to be bolstered and proposed ways to address concerns. Ghana, South Africa, Morocco, and Nigeria are among countries the IAEA will work with to secure nuclear and radioactive materials and sites at risk of sabotage. South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia are among countries the IAEA will assist to strengthen their capabilities to detect and respond to illicit trafficking. In other, mostly non-African countries such as Azerbaijan, Comoros, Croatia, the Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonia — but also the African countries of Cape Verde and Swaziland — the IAEA will support to strengthen national legislation and regulatory infrastructures related to nuclear and radioactive material.