Communique by Participants

Organized by the World Council of Churches, the Fellowship for Christian Councils in West Africa, and the Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers

Hosted by the Christian Council of Ghana
28-29 September 1998, Accra, Ghana

1. PREAMBLE

We the participants from Cameroon, Ghana, Kenya, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Norway, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo assembled here thank God for this unique opportunity to discuss the problems of proliferation of arms in the West African subregion and how best this dangerous trend could be minimized or stopped.

2. OBSERVATIONS

Having observed with concern the proliferation of small arms in the sub region which has caused untold hardship, loss of lives and displacement of innocent people, we are horrified by the fact that the proliferation of small arms in the subregion has caused the untimely death of about two million people since 1990.

We further note with concern that people in responsible positions in our subregion are involved in this horrible trade in small arms that has created an increasing wave of wanton destruction of life, banditry and general insecurity.

The root causes, condition and the occasions that have necessitated the proliferation of small arms in West Africa and, indeed, in other regions of Africa are part of the complex socio-political and economic history of the subregion. This proliferation of arms has contributed to the destabilization of the state already weakened by the spate of coups d'etat, armed insurrections and ethnic conflicts.

We note that there is a correlation between undemocratic governance and the proliferation of arms in the subregion. These forces of destabilization have introduced into the society a culture of careless and wanton destruction of life and property.

We recognize that although the menace of micro-arms proliferation affects the whole society, the youth are its most visible victims. The presence of abundant small arms and light weapons in the region is a security issue for our societies that raises issues of human rights, including questions about the value of life, and the right to live freely without fear. This issue ultimately affects human development.

We however appreciate the positive and constructive initiative taken in the region to control and limit the proliferation of arms by the government and people of Mali.

3. THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE CHURCH

As people of God in this region, we cannot be silent about this great menace to life and the proper ordering of society. We therefore call on the churches in the subregion to join hands with other organizations and institutions which share this concern to address this problem which threatens human life and undermines the conditions for development in our region.

4. RECOMMENDATIONS

We recommend:

1. That all ex-combatants who are still in possession of arms should surrender them to the appropriate authorities.
2. That military spending should be cut to make funds available for necessary social amenities such as Education and Health.
3. That all churches in the region should support the Malian initiative calling for a moratorium on the manufacture, export, importation and distribution of small and light weapons in the region. In this direction, the consultation calls on the Fellowship for Christian Councils in West Africa to make a formal presentation in support of the Malian initiative at the forthcoming ECOWAS meeting at Abuja, Nigeria at the end of October 1998. We hope that a similar initiative will be adopted by the OAU and also be placed on the Agenda of the World Council of Churches Assembly in Harare, Zimbabwe in December 1998.
4. That the churches should make conflict management and resolution an integral part of their mission to the society.
5. That the churches should organize programs that will educate the whole society about the threat of small and light weapons to society.
6. That church should make conflict management, its early detection and resolution an integral part of its mission to the society.
7. We further urge the churches to set up a network to link up local churches with regional and international ecumenical bodies and other organizations, including the Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers, involved in the common task of ridding the world of the threat of the proliferation of small arms. As part of her responsibility to civil society, the church should be in the forefront, advocating and lobbying for laws and legislation for tighter control of small arms and light weapons.

5. CONCLUSION

As churches in the region, we pledge our support to the Malian initiative on the moratorium on small arms and we will work tirelessly for the elimination of the threat of small arms in our region and indeed in Africa and the whole world. For us this commitment is borne out of our belief in the value of human life and the right of all of God's children to decent free and fulfilling life.