This paper briefly reviews nuclear, chemical and biological programmes on the African continent. Africa was not free from weapons of mass destruction in the past. Recently efforts have been made to create a nuclear-weapon-free zone on the continent, while the dismantling of chemical stockpiles and biological programmes has started. A future shortage in fossil fuel energy supplies, combined with increasing demand on the continent, will necessitate the use of nuclear-powered plants for the supply of domestic energy. The available resources on the continent, coupled with the interest of foreign nations in these resources, will compel the international community to strive for a comprehensive approach to the management of the nuclear fuel cycle. This will allow the African continent to maintain its mining capacity while avoiding to become a repository for spent nuclear fuel from the West. Notes, ref., sum. (p. V-VI). [Journal abstract]
