South African arm companies sell arms to hotspots around the world, including Swaziland, Cote d'Ivoire, the Philippines, Colombia, Guinea, Algeria, Nepal and Pakistan, according to a report published on Thursday.

The report of the National Conventional arms Control Committee, which must approve all South African arms exports, shows that exports increased by 20 percent to 3.1 billion rand (about 500 million US dollars) in 2003.

Local weekly Mail and Guardian reported that the National Conventional arms Control Act of 2002 requires the government to consider the human rights and security situation in recipient countries before approving weapons sales.

According to the report, Swaziland bought about 3 million rand (500, 000 dollars) worth of "communication equipment and public order vehicles."

Colombia, which is wracked by a brutal civil war between government forces, leftist guerrillas, drug traffickers and right-wing paramilitaries, bought 171.1 million rand (28.5 million dollars) worth of "sensitive major significant equipment." This would include tanks and artillery that can cause "severe casualties and or major damage and destruction."

Algeria, with a recent history of internal conflict, bought 230.5 million rand (38.4 million dollars) worth of heavy weapons and 171 million rand (28.5 million dollars) worth of sensitive support equipment, such as missile guidance systems and gun-sight from South Africa.

Source: Xinhua