Small Arms Proliferation Within the Region in east africa

8/7/2019 Small Arms Proliferation Within the Region in east africa

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INTRODUCTION

Small arms refer to the weapons that a singleindividual can carry and operate. They may include

revolvers, self-loading pistols, rifles, carbines,

assault rifles, submachine guns, light machine guns

and associated ammunition.

Illegal firearms pose a major threat to public safety

throughout central and east Africa, encouraging

crime fuelling and prolonging conflict.



`

Millions of lives have already been lost in the

region, and the supply of arms to both

governments and rebel groups continues to grow.





` Armed millitia groups

` Terrorism

` Lawlessness



` The countries affected includes;

` Ethiopia

` Cameroon` Central African republic

` Democratic republic of congo

` Kenya

` Uganda

` Djibouti

` Somalia

` Eritrea` Ethiopia



` Rwanda

` Sudan

` Tanzania



` Porous boarders with politically unstable countries

` Ineffective and not properly manned boarders

` Poor and corrupt policing of boarders

` National raw not adequately enforced` Livestock keeping by the pastoralists

` Cultural obligations e.g pokots



` Deterioration of security

` Poor living conditions

` Lack of education

` Lack of civilization` Conflicts between communities



` Small arms are seized or stolen from government

forces, looted from state armories, purchased from

corrupt soldiers .

` peacekeepers are occasionally relieved of their small

arms, which often end up in rebel arsenals. The

ambush of Guinean peacekeepers in January 2000,

for example, netted Sierra Leonean rebels more than

550 weapons, including assault rifles, machineguns,

rocket-propelled grenades and two tons of ammunitionstolen from private owners.



` Rebels and other armed groups are another

major source of illicit small arms

` Governments and armed groups in neighboringstates are also significant sources of illicit small

arms. Many civil conflicts in Africa quickly

transforming to regional wars as neighboring

governments provide material support to one or more of the parties to the conflict



` The unstable states in the Horn of Africa are one of the principal sources of small arms and lightsweapons

` Since independence from Britain in 1962, Uganda has

witnessed seven military coups, the last one in 1986,when the current head of state, President YoweriKaguta Museveni, took over power. Invariably, whenone government loses control and the newgovernment assumes control of the state, soldiers ±

sometimes comprising full units and battalions ± fleewith their weapons to wage civil war against the coupvictors



` The SPLA rebels received arms from sympathetic

governments like Uganda. They also raided

government armouries and purchased weapons

from disgruntled government soldiers.

Unfortunately rebel movements do not have

mechanisms for tracking and monitoring how arms

are used, so many can end up in wrong hands



` Other sources of weapons entering Kenya include

arms destined for neighbouring countries which are

diverted, arms used for drug trafficking to and fromsouthern Africa, and arms entering with refugees. In

some instances, arms are stolen from police stations,

from murdered police officers, or from civilians whohave gun licenses.



` Foot or trucks

` Along rivers and coasts

` Dhows

` Aircrafts



` Enactment of firearms act of Kenya

` Community policing initiative

` Destruction of illegal arms

` Formation of East African Police Chiefs Organisation

` Disarmament

` Kenya is a signatory to the Nairobi Protocol for Prevention, Control and Reduction of Small Arms andLight Weapons in the Great Lakes Region and the

Horn of Africa, which was adopted in 2004 andentered into force on 5 May 2006



` Introduction of national action plan

` Formation of the Ethiopia-Kenya Joint Border

Administration Commission in 2006

` In addition, Kenya has entered into a cooperationpact, courtesy of the East Africa Community, with

member states (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania,

Rwanda and Burundi) and this has improved

border security particularly with Tanzania andUganda.



` Strengthening national legislation and controls for the possession, use and transfer of small armsand light weapons

` Ensuring that weapons holding by defense andsecurity forces do not exceed requirements for legitimate defense and security needs

` Developing partnerships to assist and strengthenthe capacity of countries in regions of conflict to

monitor and control arms accumulations andflows.





` The First Committee (Disarmament and

International Security) began to meet during the

53rd session of the United Nations General

Assembly. The second draft resolution discussed

the holding of an international conference on the

illicit arms trade by the year 2001in New York.



` Article 41 of the UN Charter gives the Security

Council the right to call upon member states to

apply measures short of the use of armed force to

maintain or restore international peace and

security

` The Security Council has imposed sanctions 15

times in the past 35 years (first in 1965 againstRhodesia), levying 13 embargoes in the 1990s

alone



` In December 2000, the Security Council passed

Resolution 1333, demanding that the Taliban

comply with the 1999 resolution



` Review the Firearms Act of Kenya and other

existing laws and provide stiffer penalties for

illegal owners of fire arms;

` Improve data collection and small arms profiling;

` Destroy all weapons collected



` Increase public awareness through newly

launched community policing initiative on the

dangers of small arms;

` Improve terms and conditions of law enforcement

as incentive and morale boosters in dealing with

illegal arms;

` Initiate joint border patrols with the neighbouring

countries



` Utilize the expertise of international law

enforcement agencies such as Interpol.` Expand foreign aid programmes that target the

illicit arms trade;

` Crack down on violations of UN arms embargoes;

` Strengthen national arms control legislation;

` Address the factors that fuel the illicit small arms

economy;



` It is a fact that Kenya suffers from small arms

proliferation

` In rural areas, as indicated earlier, these reasonsinclude communal security, interethnic rivalries,

and struggles over scarce resources and the

requirements of warrior cultures. And in the cities,

they include poverty and unemployment



` There is no agreed definition of small arms and

light weapons. Small arm is a term of art used

by armed forces to denote infantry weapons an

individual soldier may carry` Small arms proliferation is a term used by

organizations and individuals advocating the

control of small arms and their trade



` organizations use the term particularly in arguing

for weapons restriction of small arms sales to

private citizens in conflict zones. These

organizations argue that restricting the number of

small arms in a conflict zone will reduce the

number of deaths.



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Small Arms Proliferation Within the Region in east africa