The fight against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons is one of the key priorities on the peace and security agenda of West African states. The effective control of the illicit circulation of weapons requires competent and accountable security forces, who are properly trained. This handbook, jointly published by PCASED, ECOWAS and UNIDIR, provides an appropriate framework for training.
This handbook provides critical analyses of the theory and practices of small arms proliferation and its impact on conflicts and organized violence in Africa. It examines the terrains, institutions, factors and actors that drive armed conflict and arms proliferation, and further explores the nature, scope, and dynamics of conflicts across the continent, as well as the extent to which these conflicts are exacerbated by the proliferation of small arms. The volume features rich analyses by contributors who are acquainted with, and widely experienced in, the formal and informal structures of arms proliferation and control, and their repercussions on violence, instability and insecurity across Africa. The chapters dissect the challenges of small arms and light weapons in Africa with a view to understanding roots causes and drivers, and generating a fresh body of analyses that adds value to the existing conversation on conflict management and peacebuilding in Africa. With contributions from scholars, development practitioners, defence and security professionals and civil society activists, the handbook seeks to serve as a reference for students, researchers, and policy makers on small arms proliferation, control and regulation; defence and security practitioners; and those involved in countering violence and managing conflicts in Africa.
The West African subregion is host to strings of violent armed conflicts. These conflicts result in enormous human tragedy and account for the economic and societal deprivation that continues to plague the subregion while also stifling its development. A number of factors account for the violence that afflicts the region, spreading across national boundaries with different political situations. This study examines the role played by small arms and light weapons in not only exacerbating these conflicts but also perpetuating the prevailing climate of insecurity in the West Africa Subregion.
Academic Paper from the year 2019 in the subject Politics - International Politics - Topic: Peace and Conflict Studies, Security, grade: 2, language: English, abstract: It is estimated that 70 per cent of over 10 million illegal weapons in circulation in West Africa are in Nigeria. It is in this light that this paper interrogates the escalation and dynamics of proliferation of arms that have fueled deadly insurgency in Nigeria. It examines the interplay of factors that underpins this security challenge. The paper relies mostly on news report and scholarly publications. It recommends among others the establishment of a National Commission on small arms to serve as a legal framework for combating arms proliferation in order to enhance human security in Nigeria. Nigeria has been besieged by the outbreak of violence conflicts which has over the years claimed thousands of lives and property. This is owing to the activities of kidnappers, armed robbers, sea pirates, political thugs, arms traffickers and most importantly, the extremist group: Boko Haram. BH has in the last nine years killed over 20,000 people in the North East Nigeria. The group has sustained its attacks on the state, brutally killing thousands of people including soldiers, women and children. All these armed activities continue unabated, partly because of unchecked arms proliferation in the country. These groups use both locally manufactured and imported devices to inflict havoc on the society. Their growing expertise in the use of explosives and other devises contributes to increased violent acts against the citizens and the state. Increasingly, these armed groups have acquired high level of sophistication in the production and use of these weapons in their operations.
This Discussion Paper provides insights into the challenges posed by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in West Africa, paying particular attention to the ECOWAS convention on small arms and light weapons as a collective sub-regional response to a potent threat to peace, security and development. It connects global and regional discourses on illicit arms control and provides a balanced, empirical xamination of the performance of the convention. It is a useful contribution to debates on arms-proliferation control in Africa and provides well-informed recommendations of interest to scholars, peace activists, policy practitioners and strategists working on peace and security in Africa.
A common feature of conflict in the 1990s is death and suffering from small arms and light weapons. The global diffusion of assault rifles, machine guns, mortars, and rocket-propelled grenades, which can be easily carried by an individual or transported by a light vehicle, has greatly intensified the violence of conflicts in countries around the world. This book represents the perspectives of the foremost specialists on light weapons, and it surveys the wide range of policy options open to the international community. These include export and import controls, law enforcement strategies to break up black markets, collection and destruction of weapons following the end of conflict, and efforts to illuminate how small arms and light weapons make their way to the killing grounds of the 1990s.
States and organisations recognise the centrality of international assistance to help states prevent, combat, and eradicate the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons (SALW). However, addressing SALW remains a serious challenge for many states. States and organizations have yet to tackle important questions about the practices of delivering, evaluating, and measuring SALW assistance. This report explores these questions and highlights areas where further work remains to be done. Looking partly through an aid-effectiveness lens, this report aims to help the international community work toward ensuring that assistance is being used optimally and that states are measurably benefiting.
