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Swaziland — Gun Facts, Figures and the Law

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StockpilesGun Numbers

Civilian Guns

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Number of Privately Owned Firearms

The estimated total number of guns held by civilians in Swaziland is 72,0001

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Rate of Civilian Firearm Possession per 100 Population

The rate of private gun ownership in Swaziland is 6.42 firearms per 100 people

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Number of Privately Owned Firearms - World Ranking

In a comparison of the number of privately owned guns in 178 countries, Swaziland ranked at No. 1441

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Rate of Privately Owned Firearms per 100 Population - World Ranking

In a comparison of the rate of private gun ownership in 179 countries, Swaziland ranked at No. 862

ImpactsGun Death and Injury

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Number of Homicides (any method)

ChartIn Swaziland, annual homicides by any means total

2004: 1413
2003: 135
2000: 9264
1999: 902
1998: 899

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Rate of Homicide per 100,000 People (any method)

ChartIn Swaziland, the annual rate of homicide by any means per 100,000 population is

2004: 17.375
2003: 13.053
2000: 88.614
1999: 88.48
1998: 90.77

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Number of Gun Homicides

ChartIn Swaziland, annual firearm homicides total

2004: 3843
2003: 440

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Rate of Gun Homicide per 100,000 People

In Swaziland, the annual rate of firearm homicide per 100,000 population is

2004: 37.163

ProductionGun Industry

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Firearm Manufacture

In Swaziland, the manufacture of small arms, ammunition and/or their components is prohibited6

TransfersGun Trade and Trafficking

Export Control

In Swaziland, firearm and ammunition exports are limited by transfer control law 7

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Small Arms Exports (US$)

The annual value of small arms and ammunition exports from Swaziland is reported to be US$1588 (2008)

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Small Arms Exports - World Ranking

In a comparison of the world's major/mid-level/minor/unknown small arms exporters, Swaziland is categorized as 'minor' (re-exports only, no domestic production)9

Import Control

In Swaziland, firearm and ammunition imports are limited by transfer control law 7

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Small Arms Imports (US$)

The annual value of small arms and ammunition imports to Swaziland is reported to be US$20,7028 (2007)

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Regulation of Arms Brokers

In Swaziland, the activities of arms brokers and transfer intermediaries are not specifically regulated by law7

MeasuresGun Regulation

Firearm Registration

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Civilian Gun Registration

In Swaziland, the law requires6 that a record of the acquisition, possession and transfer of each privately held firearm be retained in an official register

Marking and Tracing Guns and Ammunition

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Firearm Marking

In Swaziland, a unique identifying mark on each firearm is not required by law6

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Firearm Tracing

In Swaziland, state authorities do not carry out6 recognised arms tracing and tracking procedures

MeasuresInternational Controls

Regional Agreements

African Union

In June 2006, as a member of the African Union, Swaziland adopted an African Common Position to take to the Conference to Review the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UNPoA), held in June 200610

Southern African Development Community

As a member of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Swaziland signed the SADC Declaration Concerning Firearms, Ammunition and Other Related Materials in March 2001. This laid the ground for the August, 2001 adoption of the legally binding SADC Protocol on Control of Firearms, Ammunition and Other Related Materials11

United Nations Arms Trade Treaty

In 2009, Swaziland voted to begin12 negotiations towards a legally binding Arms Trade Treaty. In this vote, 151 UN Member States supported talks on an ATT, with 1 voting against, 20 abstentions, and 20 non-votes

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United Nations Firearms Protocol

The United Nations Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition has not been signed13 by Swaziland

United Nations Small Arms Programme of Action UNPoA

UNPoA Commitment

On 21 July 2001, Swaziland committed to a consensus decision of the United Nations to adopt, support and implement the UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects14

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UNPoA National Reporting

Under the terms of its 2001 commitment to the United Nations small arms Programme of Action, Swaziland has submitted one or more national reports15 16 on its implementation of the UNPoA

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UNPoA National Point of Contact

In Swaziland, a National Point of Contact to deal with issues relating to the UNPoA has not been designated16

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UNPoA International Assistance – Donor

Funds for UNPoA implementation have not been donated16 by Swaziland to other UN Member States

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UNPoA International Assistance – Recipient

Funds for UNPoA implementation have been provided16 to Swaziland by other UN Member States

United Nations Small Arms Register

According to the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms, Swaziland has not declared1 its small arms exports in one or more annual National Reports on Arms Exports.

United Nations Membership

In the UN List of Member States, Swaziland has been a Member State of the United Nations since 196817

Wassenaar Arrangement

The Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls and Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies does not list18 Swaziland as a Participating State
Last Updated on 18 March 2012

Short References

1.

Karp, Aaron.2007.‘Completing the Count: Civilian firearms.’ Small Arms Survey 2007: Guns and the City.Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,27 August. (Q4)Full Citation

2.

Karp, Aaron.2007.‘Completing the Count: Civilian firearms.’ Small Arms Survey 2007: Guns and the City.Cambridge:Cambridge University Press,27 August. (Q5)Full Citation

3.

UNODC.2006.‘Reported Overall Homicide Numbers and Rates per 100,000 Population for 64 Countries, 2003-04.’ Ninth United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (2003 – 2004).Vienna:United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,10 December. (Q9)Full Citation

4.

UNODC.2004.‘Recorded Intentional Homicide, Completed.’ Seventh United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems (1998-2000).Vienna:United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime,19 March. (Q91)Full Citation

5.

Petrini, Benjamin.2011.‘Sub-Saharan Africa, 1995-2008, Total Recorded Intentional Homicide, Completed, Rate per 100,000 Population.’ World Bank Homicide Rate Dataset 1995-2008.Washington DC:Social Development Department, World Bank,10 February. (Q3812)Full Citation

6.

Swaziland.2008.‘Implementation of the International Tracing Instrument.’ National Report of Swaziland on its Implementation of the United Nations Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects (UNPoA).New York:Permanent Mission of Swaziland to the United Nations,1 January. (Q4743)Full Citation

7.

IANSA.2006.‘Reviewing Action on Small Arms 2006: Assessing the first five years of the UN Programme of Action.’ Biting the Bullet 'Red Book' 2006.New York:International Action Network on Small Arms and the Biting the Bullet project,26 June. (Q82)Full Citation

8.

Marsh, Nicholas.2011.‘Database of Authorised Transfers of Small Arms and Light Weapons.’ NISAT Small Arms Trade Database.Oslo:Norwegian Initiative on Small Arms Transfers,1 June. (Q16)Full Citation

9.

Small Arms Survey.2001.‘60 Known Legal Small Arms Exporting Countries, 2001.’ Small Arms Survey 2001: Profiling the Problem.Oxford:Oxford University Press,1 July. (Q867)Full Citation

10.

African Union / UNODA.2005.‘Windhoek Common Position.’ United Nations Programme of Action Implementation Support System: Regional Organisations.New York:African Union / United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs,14 December. (Q3216)Full Citation

11.

SADC / UNODA.2001.‘Protocol on Control of Firearms, Ammunition and Other Related Materials.’ United Nations Programme of Action Implementation Support System: Regional Organisations.New York:Southern African Development Community Secretariat / United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs,1 August. (Q3217)Full Citation

12.

UNGA.2009.‘Towards an Arms Trade Treaty: Establishing common international standards for the import, export and transfer of conventional arms.’ UN Resolution A/RES/64/48.New York:United Nations General Assembly,2 June. (Q1886)Full Citation

13.

UNGA.2001.‘United Nations Protocol against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Their Parts and Components and Ammunition.’ UN General Assembly Resolution 55/255.New York:UN General Assembly,31 May. (Q17)Full Citation

14.

UNGA.2001.‘Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.’ United Nations General Assembly.New York:UN General Assembly,20 July. (Q18)Full Citation

15.

Cattaneo, Silvia and Sarah Parker.2008.‘Reporting, NPCs and NCAs, 2002 to 2008.’ Implementing the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons: Analysis of the National Reports submitted by States from 2002 to 2008.Geneva:United Nations Development Programme,1 November. (Q20)Full Citation

16.

UNODA.2009.‘PoA-ISS Country Profiles.’ UN small arms Programme of Action (UNPoA) – Implementation Support System.New York:United Nations Office of Disarmament Affairs,29 October. (Q1309)Full Citation

17.

UN.2009.‘Member States of the United Nations.’ UN.org Web Site.New York:United Nations General Assembly,11 May. (Q290)Full Citation

18.

Wassenaar Arrangement.1996.‘Introduction: Participating States.’ Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls and Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies.Vienna:Wassenaar Secretariat,12 July. (Q19)Full Citation