| Treaty Of Pelindaba |
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Information AboutTreaty Of Pelindaba |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT AFRICAN NUCLEAR WEAPONS FREE ZONE TREATY | |
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The United States has supported the concept of the denuclearization of Africa since the first United Nations General Assembly resolution on this issue in 1965 and has played an active role in drafting the final text of the Treaty and Protocols. The United States, United Kingdom, and Russian Federation signed the treaty in 1996 , but have not ratified their obligations as nuclear weapons states under Protocol I and Protocol II of the Treaty. As Of 2005 , the Treaty had 20 ratifications, but still requires 8 more ratifications for its entry into force. The ratifying countries are Algeria , Botswana , Burkina Faso , Equatorial Guinea , Gambia , Guinea , Ivory Coast , Kenya , Libya , Lesotho , Madagascar , Mali , Mauritania , Mauritius , Namibia , South Africa , Swaziland , Tanzania , Togo , and Zimbabwe . {Link without Title} It is reported that no African Arab State will ratify the Treaty until Israel , which is not eligible to join the Treaty, renounces Its Nuclear Weapons Program . {Link without Title} However, Algeria and Libya have since ratified the Treaty. The Treaty prohibits the research, development, manufacture, stockpiling, acquisition, testing, possession, control or stationing of Nuclear Explosive Device s in the territory of parties to the Treaty and the dumping of Radioactive Waste s in the African zone by Treaty parties. The Treaty also prohibits any attack against nuclear installations in the zone by Treaty parties and requires them to maintain the highest standards of physical protection of nuclear material, facilities and equipment, which are to be used exclusively for peaceful purposes. The Treaty requires all parties to apply full-scope International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards to all their peaceful nuclear activities. A mechanism to verify compliance, including the establishment of the African Commission On Nuclear Energy , has been established by the Treaty. Its office will be in South Africa. {Link without Title} The Treaty affirms the right of each party to decide for itself whether to allow visits by foreign ships and aircraft to its ports and airfields, explicitly upholds the freedom of navigation on the high seas and does not effect rights to passage through territorial waters guaranteed by international law. The Treaty has three Protocols. Under Protocol I, the United States , France , the United Kingdom , the Russian Federation and the People's Republic Of China are invited to agree not to use or threaten to use a nuclear explosive device against any Treaty party or against any territory of a Protocol III party within the African zone. Under Protocol II, the United States, France, the United Kingdom, the Russian Federation and China are invited to agree not to test or assist or encourage the testing of a nuclear explosive device anywhere with the African zone. Protocol III is open to states with dependent territories in the zone and obligates them to observe certain provisions of the Treaty with respect to these territories; only Spain and France may become Parties to it. The Treaty was opened for signature on April 11 , 1996 in Cairo , Egypt . All the States of Africa are eligible to become parties to the Treaty, which with enter into force upon its 28th ratification; the Protocols with also into force at that time for those Protocol signatories that have deposited their instruments of ratification. DIEGO GARCIA Russia has not ratified the Treaty because the status of the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia with regard to the Treaty is unclear. Diego Garcia is controlled by the United Kingdom, and is used as a military base by the United States. Neither the United States nor the United Kingdom recognizes Diego Garcia as being subject to the Treaty, even though the rest of the Chagos Archipelago is included. {Link without Title} Because the Chagos Archipelago was detached from African island state of Mauritius , and will be returned to Mauritius when no longer required for defence purposes, the treaty zone includes the island of Diego Garcia. {Link without Title} EXTERNAL LINKS
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