C.A.B. Dath¹ , M. Mbaye² , A. Niane² , N.A.B. Faye³

¹Ministere des Postes et Télécommunications
²Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD), Dakar, Senegal
³Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD) and Autorité de Radioprotection et de Sureté Nucléaire (ARSN), Dakar, Senegal

Abstract:

The Palindaba Treaty which aims to create a nuclear weapon free zone (NWFZ) in Africa entered into force, since july 2009. The African Commission on Nuclear Energy (AFCONE) was established for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the obligations under the Treaty consisting for the Parties to do not conduct, among others, research and development in nuclear explosions and other allied activities in the region. The AFCONE, is also in charge of developing nuclear sciences and applications in its member states. In that context, the challenge of AFCONE related to checking, preventing and alerting on threats on nuclear material and weapons may be handled within the infrastructure of the CTBTO, like the international monitoring systems (IMS). The CTBTO infrastructure can also serves as data bases and systems for supporting nuclear sciences, seismology, and other scientific fields of interests of the Palindaba Treaty compliances. The IMS networks and the OSI programs of the CTBTO could be useful for providing informations and alerts during nuclear emergency events and in tracking other malicious acts involving nuclear material around the African region, and by the way, putting in place and effective system of verification and scientific supports.