Illegal firearms pose a major threat to public safety throughout central and east Africa. Supply of arms to both governments and rebel groups continues to grow. Peacekeepers are occasionally relieved of their small arms, which often end up in rebel arsenals.
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Small Arms Proliferation Within the Region in east africa
Illegal firearms pose a major threat to public safety throughout central and east Africa. Supply of arms to both governments and rebel groups continues to grow. Peacekeepers are occasionally relieved of their small arms, which often end up in rebel arsenals.
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Illegal firearms pose a major threat to public safety throughout central and east Africa. Supply of arms to both governments and rebel groups continues to grow. Peacekeepers are occasionally relieved of their small arms, which often end up in rebel arsenals.
Copyright:
Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
individual 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. Ú
jillions of lives have already been lost in the
region, and the supply of arms to both governments and rebel groups continues to grow. Ú jost regional countries are affected due to; Ú Conflicts Ú Armed banditry Ú Political instability Ú Civil wars Ú Conflicts between nations Ú Cattle rustling Ú Armed millitia groups Ú Terrorism Ú Lawlessness Ú 6
; Ú Ethiopia Ú Cameroon Ú Central African republic Ú Democratic republic of congo Ú Kenya Ú Uganda Ú Djibouti Ú Somalia Ú Eritrea Ú Ethiopia Ú Mwanda Ú Sudan Ú Tanzania Ú Porous boarders with politically unstable countries Ú Ineffective and not properly manned boarders Ú Poor and corrupt policing of boarders Ú National raw not adequately enforced Ú Livestock keeping by the pastoralists Ú Cultural obligations e.g pokots Ú Deterioration of security Ú Poor living conditions Ú Lack of education Ú Lack of civilization Ú Conflicts between communities Ú Small arms are seized or stolen from government forces, looted from state armories, purchased from corrupt soldiers . Ú 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 ammunition stolen from private owners. Ú Mebels and other armed groups are another major source of illicit small arms
Ú Governments and armed groups in neighboring
states are also significant sources of illicit small arms. jany 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 Ú The unstable states in the Horn of Africa are one of the principal sources of small arms and lights weapons Ú Since independence from Britain in 1962, Uganda has witnessed seven military coups, the last one in 1986, when the current head of state, President Yoweri Kaguta juseveni, took over power. Invariably, when one government loses control and the new government assumes control of the state, soldiers ± sometimes comprising full units and battalions ± flee with their weapons to wage civil war against the coup victors Ú 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 Ú ëther sources of weapons entering Kenya include arms destined for neighbouring countries which are diverted, arms used for drug trafficking to and from southern Africa, and arms entering with refugees. In some instances, arms are stolen from police stations, from murdered police officers, or from civilians who have gun licenses. Ú ºoot or trucks Ú Along rivers and coasts Ú Dhows Ú Aircrafts Ú Enactment of firearms act of Kenya Ú Community policing initiative Ú Destruction of illegal arms Ú ºormation of East African Police Chiefs ërganisation Ú Disarmament Ú Kenya is a signatory to the Nairobi Protocol for Prevention, Control and Meduction of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Megion and the Horn of Africa, which was adopted in 2004 and entered into force on 5 jay 2006 Ú Introduction of national action plan Ú ºormation of the Ethiopia-Kenya Joint Border Administration Commission in 2006 Ú In addition, Kenya has entered into a cooperation pact, courtesy of the East Africa Community, with member states (Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mwanda and Burundi) and this has improved border security particularly with Tanzania and Uganda. Ú Strengthening national legislation and controls for the possession, use and transfer of small arms and light weapons Ú Ensuring that weapons holding by defense and security forces do not exceed requirements for legitimate defense and security needs Ú Developing partnerships to assist and strengthen the capacity of countries in regions of conflict to monitor and control arms accumulations and flows. Ú Combating motor vehicle thefts, drug trafficking, firearms smuggling, diamond smuggling and other related crimes Ú A call for immediate action on governmental and non- governmental bodies to take coordinated action at national, regional and international levels to encourage efforts in: Ú Concrete measures on human security and development Ú jeasures to address the widespread availability, transfer and use of light weapons Ú The ºirst 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. Ú 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 Ú The Security Council has imposed sanctions 15 times in the past 35 years (first in 1965 against Mhodesia), levying 13 embargoes in the 1990s alone Ú In December 2000, the Security Council passed Mesolution 1333, demanding that the Taliban comply with the 1999 resolution Ú Meview the ºirearms Act of Kenya and other existing laws and provide stiffer penalties for illegal owners of fire arms;
Ú Improve data collection and small arms profiling;
Ú Destroy all weapons collected
Ú Increase public awareness through newly launched community policing initiative on the dangers of small arms; Ú Improve terms and conditions of law enforcement as incentive and morale boosters in dealing with illegal arms; Ú Initiate joint border patrols with the neighbouring countries Ú Utilize the expertise of international law enforcement agencies such as Interpol. Ú Expand foreign aid programmes that target the illicit arms trade; Ú Crack down on violations of UN arms embargoes; Ú Strengthen national arms control legislation; Ú Address the factors that fuel the illicit small arms economy; Ú It is a fact that Kenya suffers from small arms proliferation
Ú In rural areas, as indicated earlier, these reasons
include communal security, interethnic rivalries, and struggles over scarce resources and the requirements of warrior cultures. And in the cities, they include poverty and unemployment Ú 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 Ú Small arms proliferation is a term used by organizations and individuals advocating the control of small arms and their trade Ú 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. -END-
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