Global watchdog warns Africa on chemical threats

Industries, mines and energy deputy minister Gaudentia Kröhne has warned that the destruction of the world’s last declared chemical weapons stockpiles “must not lead to complacency.”“It reinforces the importance of continued vigilance, capacity-building and preparedness to ensure that the threat of chemical weapons does not re-emerge in any form,” she said.She was speaking at the official opening on Monday of the Integrated Advanced Course and Exercise organised by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).The six-day training is the fourth phase of the OPCW’s 2024–2025 cycle for English-speaking African state parties.It brings together civil defence forces, police, fire brigades, military CBRN units, hazardous materials teams and medical responders.The OPCW confirmed in July 2023 that the last declared chemical weapons stockpiles, located in the United States, had been destroyed, marking a milestone under the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).The organisation now says its priority is shifting from overseeing stockpile destruction to preventing re-emergence, with Africa identified as a focus region due to challenges in implementing the CWC and strengthening national response systems. Potential risks include terrorism, industrial accidents and weak preparedness.Trusted partnerProgramme officer Babatunde Olowookere said the Swakopmund training would reinforce participants’ abilities in “personnel protection, detection and sampling, decontamination and operational readiness.”The course includes tabletop exercises, live demonstrations and a final capstone drill in a simulated contaminated environment.Namibia has hosted the OPCW programme three times in four years – in Swakopmund in 2022, Windhoek in 2024 and again now in Swakopmund. Kröhne said this reflects Namibia’s role as a trusted regional partner in advancing the objectives of the CWC.

Global watchdog warns Africa on chemical threats

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-27

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Global watchdog warns Africa on chemical threats

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Namibian Sun 2025-10-27

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