Focus on Arms in Africa - Volume 3, Issue 1, January 2004

The new peace and security arrangements of the African Union (AU) are proceeding at a remarkable pace. The latest developments took place at an Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government held in Sirte, Libya on 28 February 2004. Subsequently, Foreign Ministers got down to the serious business of electing fifteen members of the Peace and Security Council at the Fourth Ordinary Session of the Executive Council meeting in Addis Ababa from 12 - 16 March.

The proliferation of small arms and light weapons has been a concern for many during the last decade. Nongovernmental organizations and governments have been working hand-in-hand to deal with the issue. Governments are responsible for the safety and security of their citizens and thus change and enforce policy to adapt to our ever-evolving world. Non-governmental organizations assess impact and responses; as representatives of civil society they monitor the state and suggest policy changes to facilitate a safer environment. Should the situation arise where the general public perceives the state as being unable to carry out its duty to protect them, the populace may try to protect itself. One of the main occurrences shaping a community's perception of insecurity is needless violence during crime.

When the Heads of State and Government of the fifteen member states1 of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) met in Abuja, Nigeria, on 30 October 1998, they sought a common commitment to deal with the problem of arms proliferation in West Africa. The summit led to the signing of a three-year moratorium on the importation, exportation and manufacture of light weapons in West Africa, commonly known as the "ECOWAS Moratorium." The Moratorium was subject to renewal for one term upon its expiry.

West Africa is a region with a history of senseless wars that have often targeted civilians rather than combatants. In October 1998, Heads of State and Governments of the 16 member states of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) formally signed the Moratorium on the importation, exportation, and manufacture of small arms and light weapons (SALW). ECOWAS Member States adopted a code of conduct as well as a plan of action for the implementation of the Moratorium. The creation of national commissions for the fight against illicit trade and possession of small arm, verification strategies, and introduction of enduser certificates constitute major highlights of the document. This article provides a review of events in West Africa that have challenged the effectiveness and relevance of the Moratorium in addressing the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the region.

Kenya has been chosen to host the First Review Conference of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production, and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and On Their Destruction (Mine Ban Treaty). It will take place from 29 November - 3 December 2004. The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, and heads of state will attend the "Nairobi Summit 2004 on a Mine-Free World".

The Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) in All Its Aspects (PoA) has important implications for the African continent. It resulted from the July 2001 United Nations Conference on SALW. The spread of small arms has stalled development in Africa, due to the rise in criminal violence, the collapse of health and education services, the wide displacement of people, and declining economic activity. The PoA presents an important step towards improving international cooperation and assistance on the small arms problem.

"Practical disarmament" and "micro-disarmament" are two terms frequently used to refer to programmes that aim to remove small arms from a society through collection and destruction. In the Supplement to an Agenda for Peace, the former United Nations Secretary-General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, used the term "micro-disarmament" to refer to the light weapons that were commonly used in conflicts that the UN dealt with in the 1990s.