[FBIS Transcribed Text] The government says the ban on the importation and manufacture of small and other sophisticated arms under the three-year ECOWAS moratorium on small arms is still in force. Speaking to Wisdom Awuku in a telephone interview, the minister of interior, Alhaji Malik Alhassan Yakubu, says the measure is to reduce the proliferation of small arms in the West African subregion to ensure peace and stability: [Begin recording] [Yakubu, monitored in progress] ...well, from our national situation, where you have a spate of criminal activities like armed robbery, sometimes conflicts over chieftaincy, over religious affairs, which require that we should take out of the system instruments of violence, apart from that, we also have the ECOWAS protocol. ECOWAS has a three-year moratorium on small arms with the sole purpose of reducing the proliferation of small arms in the subregion. Now, if you talk of taking advantage of [word indistinct] manufacture these things for exports, I mean we do not want them in this country, and ECOWAS, as the subregion, does not want them. So it is not the kind of trade that we would like to encourage in view of its negative effects on peace and order, peace and stability in our country and in the subregion. [Awuku] Does the ministry have any supervisory role over such activities? [Yakubu] Sure, of course, if the ministry is in charge of internal security, then the availability of things that will promote violence and breach of law and order, definitely the ministry has a supervisory responsibility over these things. It is also found that some of the weapons seized when armed robbers are caught are locally manufactured pistols, and I even heard some time ago that some of the gunsmiths are able to make something of the type of the AK47. We are looking at it carefully, while the police are on the track, on the heels of those who commit these crimes. We are also trying to find out what is the real cause of this so that we can stamp it out once and for all. [end recording] In a related development, the Ghana Police Service has warned that it is an offense to purchase and keep arms and ammunition from dealers and other persons without permit from the police. A statement issued by the Police Public Relations Directorate in Accra urged people who intend to purchase and own arms and ammunition to contact the nearest police station for advice. It further called on Ghanaians to report anyone engaged in the manufacture of these arms to the nearest security agency for prompt action. [Description of Source: Accra Ghana Broadcasting Corporation Radio 1 in English -- State-owned, government-controlled radio]Title: Ghana: Minister says ban on light weapon imports, manufacture still in force
Document Number: FBIS-AFR-2001-0616 Document Type: Daily Report Document Title: FBIS Transcribed Text Document Date: 16 Jun 2001 Sourceline: Accra Ghana Broadcasting Corporation Radio 1 in English 1300 GMT 16 Jun 01 Citysource: Accra Ghana Broadcasting Corporation Radio 1