Last December, Igor kirilov, the head of Russia’s nuclear Biological Defense Troops claimed that the U.S has been moving its bioweapons research out of Ukraine. The existence of the laboratories existence was actually brought to the open during the period of Mr. Donald Trump’s presidency. According to him, “The pentagon is actively working to transfer its unfinished research projects to the countries in central Asia and Eastern Europe.
According to the Russian, data on illegal, U.S backed laboratories in Ukraine was presented at the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons conference, which took place in Genera between November 28 and December 16, last year. Among what was presented included “documentary evidence that work with components of biological weapons and studies of pathogens of especially dangerous and economically significant infections had been carried out on the territory of Ukraine with financial, scientific, technical and personnel support of the U.S.
The U.S has also beenboasting cooperation with Cambodia, Singapore, Thailand, Kenya and other countries in the Indo-Pacific and Africa.
The Russian Commander also noted that the full text of the report by the U.S defense threat reduction agency (DTRA) on its work in Ukraine obtained by the Russian military contained data, confirming the conduct of exercises and training activities with pathogens of especially dangerous infections.” The Russian commander further said that the head of the American delegation to the conference in Genera last year, referred to respond to Russia’s accusations of violation of the chemical weapons conventions by the U.S “such a stance by the U.S and its blocking of any initiatives to resume work on the verification mechanisms of the CWC once, again countries that Washington has something to hide in terms of compliance with the convention does not play into the hands of the American,” the Russia agent.
It would be recalled that last November, the UN security council rejected Russia’s call for an interactional investigation into claims that the U.S used laboratories in Ukraine to develop biological weapons. While China backed the Russia’s proposal, the U.S, Britain, and France voted against it, with the ten rotating council members abstaining. Russia has insisted that the U.S and Ukraine have been violating the 1972 international convention that bans the development, production and stockpiling of biological weapons. According to Moscow, several laboratories in Ukraine were working on a secret “military biological” program which involved studies and the stockpiling of samples of anthrax, cholera, and other infectious diseases. Russia’s deputy envoy to the UN, who said he was “deeply disappointed,” added that “the western countries are simply afraid” of the international investigations.
However, biosecurity especially of germ laboratories cannot be exclusive concerns of the big powers. There are numerous instances and cases of accidental laboratory leaks or callous mistakes, whose consequences can have or lead to devastating consequences for all humanity, especially in the developing countries, where remedial measures are lacking or grossly inadequate. For instance, for many years, the U.S.A today undertook investigations into the biosecurity of the U.S germ laboratory and found systematic safety failures and consistent non-compliance to safety protocols. For example, it noted that in 2015, the pathogen discovered that one its laboratories in Dug way proving ground, Utah has mistakenly sent live anthrax to almost 200 laboratories worldwide over the course of 12 years because the labs “inactivation” (removal of hazardous effects) of the pathogen was found to be incomplete. Let it be pointed however, that it is not only the U.S lab’s that have issues of governance and safety. In China, while is no evidence in open source information that 2003 SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) epidemic, the 2004 SARS cases were indeed caused by leaks from a Beijing’s laboratory. In the light of the emerging facts and incidences, it is of the supreme importance that there is the urgent imperative for better regulations and governance of germ laboratories in different countries. Transparency and information exchanges are important to build confidence and prevent a biodefense arms race, as well as regulations, the proliferation of these labs in order to mitigate attendant risks of accidents, threats to public health and safety lapses that can provide easy access of toxins and proxies of terrorists groups.
As developing countries, especially in Africa are more vulnerable to devastating consequences of lab leaks or accidents, it is imperative that they lead the way in biosecurity measures and demand on inclusive global governance structure of bio labs.
The real danger of bio warfare is that it has no territorial or regional limitations and any corner of the world with the entire humanity can be the theatre of its deadly operations.
Haruna is a commentator on international security
