Proliferation of Arms Blamed on Leaders
Ghanaian Chronicle (Accra)
26 March 2001
by Joyce Mensah Nsefo
The lack of institutional capacities on the part of States in the West African sub-region to control existing stock of arms within their respective countries continue to surface as the major cause of the proliferation of arms within the region and the attendant conflicts and general instability in the area.
According to Dr Emmanuel Kwesi Anning of the Institute of Economic Affairs, the leaders in the region, seen as a suitable ground for increasing violence, are only good at appending their signatures to protocols, without the will and capacity to implement them.
At a day's seminar on Small Arms and Ghana's Security, organised by Foundation for Security Development in Africa (FOSDA), in Accra, last Thursday, it became apparent that since no State can pretend to be an island on its own when it comes to combating flow of arms into neighbouring countries, only a concerted effort by all can rid the region of arms.
It was attended by military expects, diplomats, members of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Defence, and civil society organisations. Ironically, Dr Anning pointed out that a major impediment to the implementation of the numerous protocols to control arms and end conflicts is because some of the States are themselves contributors and active players in the conflicts.
"One of the key ironies of member states of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) was that the States at the centre of the networks, driving the new conflicts, have also been members of the sub-regional conflict management mechanism, namely Burkina Faso in Liberia, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone and Liberia in Guinea." Underscoring his point in an explicit expose on the role played by small arms in the numerous conflicts in the Mano River Union.
He stressed that the inability of the States to implement such protocols on the control of the free- flow of small arms and disarmament agreements within the region, undermines regional stability and democratic development in the countries. To him, to reduce the various intra-State conflicts, which mostly dwell on ethnic cleansing, and help prevent others, the root cause of all tensions within societies should be identified and lasting solutions found to them with the active involvement of the indigenes.
Outlining the role expected of civil society organisations who invariably live within the societies, he asked them to design early warning methods and help identify potentially fertile areas. But most importantly, he stressed government's control on the importation of arms and enforcement of international laws on the flow of arms.
In response, it was announced that the Attorney-General is currently working on the establishment of a National Commission on Light Weapons Moratorium under the National Security Council, to implement the ECOWAS moratorium on the importation, exportation and manufacture of light arms, ratified by heads of states on October 31, 1998.
The draft of it will be presented to Parliament during its next sitting. Also in line, Ghana's Arms and Ammunition Act 1960 (Act 118) would be looked at for a possible amendment to reflect the present situation. The Chief Director of the Ministry of Interior, Mr. Henry Clark who represented the Minister assured participants of the government's commitment to uphold the moratorium and willingness to co- operate with all to ensure its successful implementation.
The chairman for the occasion, General Emmanuel Erskine, a former Commander of the Ghana Armed Forces expressed worry about the general lack of knowledge of the public about the existence of the arms and ammunition act, and urged that a nationwide sensitisation of the provisions be embarked upon to inform the public.
Also a patron of FOSDA, he lauded the government for taking the initiative to retrieve unlicensed arms from private homes to curb the incidence of crime and also maintain law and order in the society. The UNDP Resident Representative, Mr. Alfred Salia Fawundu, before presenting the UN's position on the proliferation of small arms, drew the attention of participants to the potential volatile condition on the ground, using his country, Sierra Leone and other African countries as an example, when he heard that the police could not contain local manufacturers of arms.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of the Joint Police Cum Military Operation to retrieve arms after the expiration of the government's moratorium, informed the participants that the problem is with the control of such arms, because since it is illegal, the guns being manufactured in parts at various workshops, and then later collected and reassembled by the contractor.
"If we do not contain it, it is trouble." Mr. Fawundu warned. Donning his UN cap, he articulated that their initiative to constrain small arms supply include efforts to counter illicit trafficking through legal measures and helping governments strengthen judicial, administrative and enforcement measures. The UNDP rep mentioned the establishment of its Trust Fund for the reduction of small arms from which some countries in Europe and Africa have already benefited.
The Sierra Leonean Ambassador to Ghana, His Excellency Allie E. Bangura had a word of caution for the international communities in fashioning future peace negotiations. Relying on the example of his country where the international community refused to listen to the people to tie the award of nine ministerial positions to RUF rebels to disarmament, which has derailed the implementation of the Lome Peace Accord of 1999. The lack of incentive to entice former rebels, in the form of cash awards, to enable them hand over their weapons was also identified. The Ambassador asked them to take note of such issues in future negotiations.
Copyright © 2001 Ghanaian Chronicle. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).