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

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...

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…

Thanks to the event’s hosts, participants, and attendees, and gratitude to our #Caribbean project partners caricom.bsky.social, CARPHA, and the George Alleyne Chronic Disease Center at The UWI. Find more information on our Caribbean project here: www.smallarmssurvey.org/project/path...

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…

3) Civil society involvement often results in more attention to prevention. Prevention is important to supplement the supply-side controls and counter-trafficking measures that often form the core of Roadmaps. A key challenge here is keeping such efforts focused on demand for illicit firearms.

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…

2) Through research, awareness raising, outreach, and partnership building, civil society can support regional and national ownership of Roadmaps, & build political momentum regarding the importance of WAM and small arms control. Civil society support may also encourage government funding

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…

1) Civil society plays a, important role in bringing a broader set of concerns into the design, monitoring and evaluation of Roadmaps, paying particular attention to the impact indicators that societies are most concerned with that are crucial for monitoring technical and process-related benchmarks

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…

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:

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…

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...

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…

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...

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.…

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...

Unlocking peace and development in East Africa through gender-responsive small arms control in border areas The project aims to enhance the capacity of the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA) and key member states to develop and implement coordinated national and regional responses. These efforts will…

Read more about the project here: www.smallarmssurvey.org/project/unlo...

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.

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…

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...

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…

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...

More than Might: How inclusive and accountable strategies can transform C-IED responses By Julien Joly and Paul Amoroso

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...

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…

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...

The Cour des Comptes just released its in-depth evaluation of the French policy on civilian firearms. The Survey was honoured to take part in the advisory committee that the Cour set up to solicit advice during the process, alongside a range of stakeholders

www.ccomptes.fr/fr/publicati...

Thanks to all the participants at our training event two weeks ago in Mauritania. As part of our EU-LAS III project, the workshop focused on how weapons & ammunition management helps build national capacities to combat diversion and illicit trafficking across and within borders.

Last week Survey Director Mark Downes participated in the launch of the @gvagrad.bsky.social ’s #GenevaPolicyOutlook 2026 to discuss his contribution to the publication.

Read the #GPO2026 here: www.genevapolicyoutlook.ch

Making the Enemy: The War in Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal States Clashes in South Sudan’s Western Bahr el Ghazal and Western Equatoria are not a breakdown of order; they fulfil a political purpose. This disorder has enabled President Salva Kiir’s regime to weaken…

The disorder generated by conflict in South Sudan’s Western Equatoria and Western Bahr el Ghazal states has enabled Salva Kiir’s regime to inflict political defeats on its opponents in Juba, while fracturing opposition forces in the periphery.

More here: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/mak...

Weapons Compass: Proliferation and Control of Arms and Ammunition in Wartime Ukraine Since the Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, vast quantities of small arms, light weapons, and ammunition have been deployed to the front lines, some of which have been lost…

What are the main elements of Ukraine’s regulatory framework on arms and ammunition, and what improvements are needed to tackle the various proliferation challenges arising from the war?

Find out more in our recent joint Report with CENSS: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/wea...

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…

What does the rise and fall of South Sudan’s former Vice-President Benjamin Bol Mel indicate about the future of the country?

Find out in this HSBA Situation Update launched in December: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/wun...

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…

In the Caribbean, have the types of illicit firearms circulating and being misused evolved in recent years? And with what implications for crime, violence, and public health?

Find out in our recent Report launched last December: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/pat...

There was a sharp decrease in respondents’ exposure to firearm safety awareness campaigns in Ukraine in 2025. More in this infographic, updated with data from a population survey conducted in Ukraine in October of last year: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/civ...

How can women diplomats be better supported in their involvement with the Arms Trade Treaty? At the recent event organized by @controlarms.bsky.social , Latvia, @unidir.org , @icrc.org and the ATT Secretariat, the Survey led a session on on ATT universalization and women's meaningful participation

Explosions accidentelles dans les dépôts de munitions : impacts sexospécifiques / The Gendered Impacts of Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites « À ce jour, les données sur les victimes des UEMS sont rarement ventilées par sexe et il n’existe que peu d’analyses des impacts sexospécifiques des UEMS sur les populations civiles à court, moyen…

Drawing on interviews conducted by national researchers in a neighbourhood impacted by a UEMS incident in Africa, this blog post from 2025 highlights the need for more research on gender-differentiated effects to better support the implementation the GFA: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/exp...

The Authorized Trade in Small Arms: Latin America from a Global Perspective Situation Update: Latin AmericaBased on UN Comtrade data, reported global small arms and light weapons (hereafter ‘small arms’) exports rose sharply from USD 5 billion in 2019 to USD 9.2 billion in 20...

Ammunition remains the most traded small arms category worldwide, accounting for 35% of the value of reported global imports for the period 2019–24. Read more in this Situation Update from 2025, part of a collaborative project supported by SNIS: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/aut...

Civilian firearms in Ukraine since the Russian invasion How have civilian attitudes and perceptions towards firearms in Ukraine been impacted by the 2022 Russian full-scale invasion?The Small Arms Survey has been monitoring what impact the ongoing war has…

How do Ukrainians feel about current firearms regulations? Our population survey from January 2025 shows that 56% of respondents think that regulations should be stricter, and 73% believe that firearm possession should be limited to specific weapon types: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/civ...

Drivers of Extremist Sympathies: Security, Ideology, and Firearms in Lebanon and Tunisia Lebanon and Tunisia share a common struggle against extremism, but the social, political, religious, and ideological make-up of each country is quite different. The Small Arms Survey conducted a…

By contrast, in Tunisia, those who believed that firearms were essential in their community were 57% more likely to sympathize with extremist groups. Find out more here: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/dri...

Drivers of Extremist Sympathies: Security, Ideology, and Firearms in Lebanon and Tunisia Lebanon and Tunisia share a common struggle against extremism, but the social, political, religious, and ideological make-up of each country is quite different. The Small Arms Survey conducted a…

Based on a general population survey, this 2025 #SANA paper demonstrates that in Lebanon, respondents with #firearms in their household were 28% more likely to sympathize with extremist groups.

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…

Explosive precursor chemicals are not only components in IEDs but also have industrial and agricultural uses. This podcast from 2025 discusses the need for a collaborative approach that secures supply chains effectively while minimizing regulatory burdens: www.smallarmssurvey.org/resource/sma...