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Africa: Activists Appeal On Small Arms
The New Times (Kigali)
February 28, 2007
Posted to the web February 28, 2007
Eleneus Akanga
Kigali
The fourth annual sub-regional civil society dialogue got underway in Kigali yesterday, with participants calling for close cooperation between states in the joint struggle against proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons. They said there should be constant information flow between governments, NGOs and civil society groups.
The activists also called for constant interaction between member countries' national focal points and the Nairobi Secretariat, saying this would help in the harmonisation of laws and traditions regarding the proliferation of illicit arms across the sub-region.
Joseph Dube*, the African Coordinator of the International Action Network on Small Arms and Light Weapons, said: "Ours is basically to provide technical support in terms of the implementation of the Nairobi Declaration on Small Arms and Light Weapons.
"We are calling upon those countries who are not yet members to come on board and ensure that the Nairobi Protocol is harmonized."
Participants are discussing ways of information exchange addressing existing gaps, make a review of the previous ministerial conferences, and to have a clearer understanding of emerging contextual trends and dynamics affecting small arms action.
"We have the Regional Centre for Small Arms (RECSA), National Focal Points and civil society organizations, and this means that reporting on specific themes should be from these three different parties," said Oyugi Onono Quirinus, the planning and operations officer, RECSA.
Officially opening the conference earlier, Joseph Mutaboba, the Secretary-General in the Ministry of Internal Security, underscored the urgent need for participants chart ways of how small arms can be completely eliminated in the region. Citing catastrophes like the 1994 Rwandan Genocide and the subsequent wars in neighbouring countries, Mutaboba observed that small arms were still present among the Rwandan public.
He was however quick to commend the progress made in stamping out the threat posed by these arms through among others, recovering them and setting them ablaze.
In April 2005, police burnt about 6,000 small arms at Musha in Eastern Province, and later another 1,500 arms were set ablaze at Ruhango in Southern Province. "We are appealing to participants from all the fourteen countries in attendance to assist each other because this is a serious problem that concerns all of us," implored the SG. Weapons such as pistols, rifles and machine guns have helped fuel banditry, perpetual conflicts and cattle rustling in various African countries.
The two-day meeting underway at Hotel Novotel Umubano, drew participants from Uganda, DRC, Burundi, Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Kenya, Angola, Zambia, Central African Republic and Rwanda.
*Comment ours: Joseph Dube is well known in South Africa as representing the interests of Gun Free South Africa (GFSA)
