2007年VOA标准英语-Lack of Safeguards in Africa Leaves Nuclear Mat

By Phuong Tran
Dakar
15 January 2007

Nuclear experts are expressing concern that countries trying to develop nuclear weapons may try to exploit resources in Africa. They say one of their concerns is that African nations lack the proper safeguards to thwart¹ such exploitation as the continent increasingly looks to nuclear technology for its own energy needs. Phuong Tran has this report from our West Africa bureau in Dakar.

In 2005, Tanzanian customs officials seized a large shipment of smuggled² uranium 238, which can be used to make the materials used in nuclear weapons. The shipment was destined³ for a port in Iran.

A United Nations investigation⁴ team concluded the uranium came from the Lubumbashi mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a source of high-grade uranium that was used to create the bombs dropped by the United States on the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima at the end of World War Two.

Some experts also worried that North Korea received uranium for its nuclear program from the Congo, in return for supplying the Central African nation with military assistance and training during its cash-strapped civil war years.

Meir Javendafar, an Israeli analyst⁵ and author of the book, "The Nuclear Strength of Tehran", says nations with nuclear ambitions may look to Africa because the resources are easily exploited.

"African countries are easier to deal with because they are not so reliant on the U.S. Many of them are in economic difficulties," he said. "The Iranian government can use its financial power to convince them. All these factors point Iran to Africa as a source of minerals for Iran's economy and its nuclear program."

There are already a number of international conventions and U.N. Security resolutions that prevent the illegal trafficking of nuclear technology materials.

But Carina Tertsakian, an analyst at the British non-profit group Global Witness, says these are largely ineffective in Africa.

She said, "Either they are not carried out, or they are carried out but the results put on the documents are false and people who are exporting these minerals will often bribe⁶ the officials with large amounts of money in exchange for them being allowed to take the minerals across the border without controls or paying taxes."

Earlier this month, African officials meeting in Algeria pledged to tighten⁷ nuclear security, while asserting their right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful uses.

Anita Nilsson, director of the Office of Nuclear Security at the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, says that as more African countries look to nuclear technology to solve their energy needs, preventing the raw materials from getting into the wrong hands is critical.

She said, "While they are very important for development, these materials have also risk factors in that if used for a bad purpose, malicious⁸ purpose, it could cause harm, health effects, contamination, disruption."

Nilsson says there are controls to prevent smuggling⁹, but they require resources, training of border officials, enforced legislation, and political will.

Energy officials say there are nuclear reactors¹⁰ in eight African countries, and at least one nuclear power plant in South Africa.

Government representatives in Namibia, which accounts for almost one tenth of the world's supply of uranium, are seeking help to build a nuclear power plant to generate electricity.

The director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohammed El Baradei says that Algeria, Egypt and Nigera are also interested in nuclear power for both electricity and desalination¹¹ of seawater.

1 thwart   

v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的)

参考例句：

• We must thwart his malevolent schemes.我们决不能让他的恶毒阴谋得逞。
• I don't think that will thwart our purposes.我认为那不会使我们的目的受到挫折。

2 smuggled   

水货

参考例句：

• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网

3 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

4 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

5 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

6 bribe   

n.贿赂；v.向…行贿，买通

参考例句：

• He tried to bribe the policeman not to arrest him.他企图贿赂警察不逮捕他。
• He resolutely refused their bribe.他坚决不接受他们的贿赂。

7 tighten   

v.(使)变紧；(使)绷紧

参考例句：

• Turn the screw to the right to tighten it.向右转动螺钉把它拧紧。
• Some countries tighten monetary policy to avoid inflation.一些国家实行紧缩银根的货币政策，以避免通货膨胀。

8 malicious   

adj.有恶意的，心怀恶意的

参考例句：

• You ought to kick back at such malicious slander. 你应当反击这种恶毒的污蔑。
• Their talk was slightly malicious.他们的谈话有点儿心怀不轨。

9 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

10 reactors   

起反应的人( reactor的名词复数 )； 反应装置； 原子炉； 核反应堆

参考例句：

• The TMI nuclear facility has two reactors. 三哩岛核设施有两个反应堆。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• The earliest production reactors necessarily used normal uranium as fuel. 最早为生产用的反应堆，必须使用普通铀作为燃料。

11 desalination   

n.脱盐(作用)

参考例句：

• Crops can be grown on this land after desalination. 这片土地经过脱盐就可以种植庄稼了。
• One source is by desalination-taking the salt out of salt water to make it drinkable. 淡水的来源之一是使水淡化--把含盐的水中的盐份去掉，使之能够饮用。