AU marks 25th anniversary of Kazakh nuclear test site closure

A ceremony that commemorates the 25th anniversary of the closure of the Semipalatinsk nuclear testing site in Kazakhstan was held on Tuesday on the premises of the African Union (AU) Headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

With the attendance of senior officials of AU, diplomats, and experts among others, the commemoration, which was accompanied by film screening and photo exhibition, also marked the International Day against Nuclear Tests.

It was to celebrate the denuclearization of Kazakhstan and the efforts undertaken by its government and people to achieve the aim, according to a statement in connection with the event.

The event also contributes to raising awareness on the adverse consequences of nuclear testing and nuclear weapons more broadly, it has noted.

Kazakh people suffered from nuclear tests, perhaps more than any other country and people in the world, noted Yerlik Ali, Kazakhstan Ambassador to Ethiopia, and Permanent Representative to AU, in his statement on the occasion.

Continuous nuclear weapon testing for nearly four decades in Kazakhstan territory has caused tremendous harm to land and the health of the nation, said the ambassador.

The ambassador recalled and said, "456 nuclear and thermonuclear tests were held. Over one and half million people lived near the test of 300,000 square kilometers."

"By renouncing and decommissioning its nuclear arsenal, the world's fourth largest at that time, and by shutting down the Test Site, Kazakhstan became a world leader in the movement to ban nuclear weapons and ensure nuclear security," he said.

"By doing that, Kazakhstan became a steadfast champion for nuclear non-proliferation, a role it plays to this date," he added.

According to the ambassador, in a quarter of a century, using its own example, Kazakhstan has developed an effective model to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world.

In his remarks, Smail Chergui, AU Commissioner for Peace and Security, said Kazakhstan's celebration is joined by the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the signing of the African Nuclear Weapon Free Zone Treaty, and the 10th anniversary of the Central Asia Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, which was appropriately signed in, and named after, Semipalatinsk.

Nuclear-weapon-free zones remain critical building blocks to realizing a world free of nuclear weapons, noted the commissioner.

As significant events are celebrated, communities in different parts of the world continue to grapple with the environmental and health consequences of nuclear testing, he said, adding, the world continues to live under the threat of nuclear disaster, either as a result of war, accident or terrorism.

"We must, therefore, persist in our efforts towards permanent, universal and verifiable nuclear disarmament," he said, "This can only be achieved through consistent and multi-pronged efforts that include reviving the international disarmament mechanism, educating our people, imploring our leaders, and strengthening the legal regimes against nuclear weapons."

On August 29, 1991, President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan, with the support of a popular movement of civil society against nuclear tests, closed down the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site. Endit