African States Agree Moratorium on Small Arms

Reuters, 31 October 1998

ABUJA, Nov 1 (Reuters) - West African leaders have adopted measures to curb the circulation of small firearms in their volatile region, a summit communique said.

A Malian proposal adopted at the end of the annual summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Saturday night called for a freeze on the import, export and circulation of such arms in the 16 ECOWAS member states.

"In their review of the security situation in West Africa, heads of state and government expressed concern about the illegal circulation within the region of small arms and similar weapons of destruction," a final summit communique said.

"The (ECOWAS) authority adopted and declared a moratorium on the import, export and manufacture of light weapons in ECOWAS member states," it added.

The summit called on the United Nations and the Organisation of African Unity to ensure the adoption of similar measures in other regions of Africa.

The communique did not say how the measure would be enforced, nor did it spell out the weapons concerned.

President Gnassingbe Eyadema of Togo, who was elected the new ECOWAS chairman, told a news conference that the moratorium would be for an initial period of three years.

Curbing the illegal trade in firearms and narcotics featured prominently at the annual summit which was intended to refocus ECOWAS on its core objective of promoting regional integration, free movement of people and a common currency.

After the summit opening on Friday, the heads of state held a special ceremony where they set ablaze a 1.7-tonne pile of marijuana, cocaine and heroin seized by anti-narcotic agents in the region.

Drugs trafficking and insecurity have harmed the regions image abroad and its drive to attract foreign investment, government officials say.

Nigeria in particular and other countries in the region have been named by the United States as major transit routes for drugs reaching North America and Europe from both Latin America and Asia. Many West Africans are in jail in Europe, the United States and Asia for drugs smuggling.

The proliferation of arms is a direct result of conflicts in the region that is plagued by civil wars, coups and uprisings.

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