South Africa: New IAEA Role Developing

South Africa: New IAEA Role Developing

Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are currently in South Africa to discuss Pretoria's past nuclear weapons program.

President de Klerk recently invited the IAEA to examine the remnants of the program. It is believed that six nuclear explosive devices were produced as part of the program.

The IAEA has expressed willingness to help destroy the manufacturing facilities associated with the devices if there are any remaining international concerns. South Africa asserts that it has already destroyed all weapons program components, including drawings and computer software.

This development is noteworthy because the IAEA has never before been tasked with verifying the dismantlement of nuclear explosives. While the agency gained some experience in assessing weapons programs through its inspections in Iraq, it required assistance from nuclear-weapon states to evaluate the Iraqi data. Similarly, the IAEA may need external expertise to assess any unique South African activities related to nuclear weapons.

The South African case could potentially strengthen calls for an IAEA role in verifying dismantlement in other countries such as Ukraine and Kazakhstan, which have pledged to accept full-scope IAEA safeguards.

It is important to note that any sensitive nuclear weapons information obtained by the IAEA in South Africa will require stricter security measures than those typically employed by the agency. This is particularly crucial because countries like Iran and Libya are members of the IAEA.