Gun Policy News
Small arms proliferation and international development
Russia,China,United States,United Kingdom,Congo (DRC),Myanmar,Iran
UK Minister Calls for International Support on Arms Trade Treaty
17 May 2012
Guardian (UK)
The international arms trade has become the greatest threat to development and has to be controlled by a tough treaty to regulate weapons and munitions sales, a government minister warns.
In a speech to the Institute for Strategic Studies thinktank, Alan Duncan, the minister for international development, will urge allies such as the US to set aside their concerns and sign up to the comprehensive arms trade treaty (ATT), which will be hammered out during a month-long... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
36143
South Africa
Gun Violence in South Africa, a National Public Health Priority - Analysis
17 May 2012
Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
ANALYSIS
South Africa faces numerous challenges in preventing and reducing the levels of violence and crime. The burden of mortality and morbidity arising from violence and injury affects the lives of millions of individuals annually and continues to undermine social harmony and socio-economic development.
This is, now more than ever, a national public health priority - one that needs to be monitored and controlled so as to limit the number of injuries and non-natural... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Institute for Security Studies (Tshwane/Pretoria)
36138
Papua New Guinea
Warn of Increase in Guns in Papua New Guinea Ahead of Elections
4 May 2012
Pacific Islands News Association (Fiji)
At least three current Members of Parliament from the Enga Province and their people have been amassing guns in preparation for the general elections, the head of the Gutnius Lutheran Church said yesterday.
The Gutnius Lutheran Church is based in the Enga Province. "I know them," he said. Bishop David Piso said supporters of the three MPs are saying they are gathering guns to use against their political opponents.
"This is very frightening and I am now thinking very... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pacific Islands News Association (Fiji)
36101
Kenya
Kenya Major Transit Point for Arms Trafficking in East Africa
25 April 2012
Star (Kenya)
Kenya is a major transit point for illegal weapons destined to war torn countries in sub-Saharan Africa, the East Africa Legislative Assembly has said. EALA speaker Abdirahin Abdi said this is due to Kenya's strategic position through its port of Mombasa and other long porous borders with her neighbours.
Abdi was speaking in Mombasa when he officially opened a two day sensitisation forum on the need to support Small Arms And Light Weapons for parliamentary security,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Star (Kenya)
36077
West Africa
Governments, Civil Society Call for Regulation of Nigeria's Gun Trade
25 April 2012
Channels TV (Nigeria)
Government officials from ECOWAS member states and a delegation from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have demanded an urgent attention to the proliferation of small arms in the sub-region.
This was the focus of the talks on addressing the challenge during the meeting on small arms trade in Abuja on Wednesday, as top government officials from the 15 member states of ECOWAS converged in Abuja to prepare for the United Nations arms trade treaty... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Channels TV (Nigeria)
36072
East Africa
East African Community Passes Bill to Reduce Small Arms Trafficking
21 April 2012
Daily Nation (Nairobi)
A trade bill passed by the East African Community (EAC) Parliament to reduce the proliferation of small arms, narcotic drugs and other illegal goods could result in an improved economic climate for the region.
The East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) last Thursday passed the East African Community Customs Management (Amendment) Bill, 2012, a modification of the East African Community Customs Management Act 2004.
The Bill anchors into law the need for regulatory... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Nation (Nairobi)
36058
Uganda
Uganda Government Asked to Expedite the Process of Small Arms Collection
8 April 2012
Uganda Pulse
Gulu Resident District Commissioner Chrissy Owori Odoi has called on government to expedite the process of collecting small arms which are still in circulation among people in Uganda.
Owori says small arms still pose a big threat to this country and may retard development if it is look at carefully.
Owori says the current peace which the northern region has achieved still stands in threat if small arms are in abundance on the wrong hands.
Speaking during a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Uganda Pulse
36005
East Africa,Ethiopia,Kenya
Kenya, Ethiopia Turn to Trade to Curb Cross Border Gun Running
7 April 2012
East African (Nairobi)
Kenya and Ethiopia are opening up their volatile border to more trade as they seek to improve community relations, ease inter-ethnic tensions to reduce demand for small arms and disrupt one of the main routes of illicit small arms coming into East Africa.
Illicit small arms trade in the Horn of Africa and the Great Lakes region has been one of the main drivers of crime across East Africa and has sustained organised criminal networks like cattle rustlers and urban... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: East African (Nairobi)
36003
Uganda
Uganda Govt Marks Police, Army, Civilians Firearms to Reduce Crime
27 March 2012
Observer (Kampala)
As part of this year's mission to create a pro-people justice system, the Justice Law and Order Sector, based at the ministry of Internal Affairs, last week labeled guns before the general public at the Railway grounds.
Anthony Nahaima, legal officer for the National Focal Point on Arms and Light Weapons — the department that handles the gun labeling process — says to date, they have labeled 80 percent of police guns and 50 percent of the army's. The labeling... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Observer (Kampala)
35958
Africa
African Countries Urge Gun Making Countries to Curb Sales to Govts
20 March 2012
Leadership (Abuja)
African countries have called on major arms-producing states to ensure that the supply of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) is limited only to governments.
The African Group made the call at the preparatory committee meeting for the second United Nations (UN) conference to review the progress made in the implementation of the programme of action to prevent, combat and eradicate indiscriminate circulation of SALW.
The UN Correspondent of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Leadership (Abuja)
35933
Pakistan,Iran,Egypt,Russia,United States,Somalia,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
A 'Bulletproof' Arms Trade Treaty Could Slow the Global Flow of Guns
8 March 2012
MediaGlobal News (New York)
Every day, according to Amnesty International, thousands of people are killed, injured, raped, and forced to flee from their homes as a result of armed conflict, armed violence, and human rights violations and abuses perpetrated using conventional arms.
As violence continues unchecked around the world, a coalition of humanitarian and health organizations is rallying support for a "bulletproof" global Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), to be discussed in July, that would stymie... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: MediaGlobal News (New York)
35894
Philippines
Muslim Clerics Support Firearm Licensing Amnesty Campaign in Philippines
8 March 2012
Philippine Star
COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Muslim clerics are ready to support the enforcement of a general firearm registration amnesty program in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
But the group noted that this can only be done if the government puts up more courts in the area with judges courageous enough to litigate high-profile cases to establish the semblance of strong justice system.
For local sociologists and contemporary historians, it is the perennial lack of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Philippine Star
35893
Somalia,Mozambique,Tanzania,Kenya,East Africa
Small Arms Proliferation in East Africa Fueling Conflicts and Instability - Opinion
23 February 2012
Pambazuka News (Africa), Opinion
A proliferation of small arms is fueling conflict and instability in East Africa. The ongoing pre-election violence in Kenya and the 'war on terror' will deter domestic and international investors, business people and economists say. These fears are valid given that illicit weapons are said to be hidden in parts of Kenya, especially in the Rift Valley Province.
On 9 December 2009 and on 2 February 2010, thousands of bullets, army uniforms, thousands of litres of fuel,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pambazuka News (Africa)
35858
Germany,Chad,Yemen,Egypt,Libya,France,United Kingdom,United States,Sudan,Belarus,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Syria,Russia
Towards an International Control of Arms Trade, NGOs Concerned [Francais]
19 February 2012
Le Monde (France)
[Translated summary: As negotiations were launched this week in New York on the Arms Trade Treaty, Amnesty International, CCFD-Terre Solidaire and Oxfam France are concerned about the risk of a "Treaty at a discount ".]
La vente d'armes à un régime qui réprime sa population, comme le fait aujourd'hui la Russie à l'Etat syrien, sera-t-elle bientôt illégale ? C'est l'enjeu des négociations qui devraient aboutir, en juillet, à New York, à la signature d'un... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Monde (France)
35854
Italy,Philippines,United States,Russia,Germany,Czech Republic,China,Botswana,Oceania,Americas,Africa,Asia,Europe,Central Africa,Caribbean,South America,Central America,Zimbabwe,Namibia,Mozambique,Congo (DRC),Angola,Swaziland,South Africa,Southern Africa
High Gun Death Risk for Young African Men, Women at Home - UN Study
19 February 2012
Southern Times (Southern Africa)
WINDHOEK - Young men in Southern Africa are at the greatest risk of cold-blooded murder, while women in the region are more likely than others from around the world to be killed in domestic violence, a UN agency says.
The statistics from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) come as the region battles to contain the proliferation of gun-related crimes.
Experts have said gun-related crime is a major problem in South Africa and Swaziland, and is on the rise in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Southern Times (Southern Africa)
35844
Madagascar,Guinea,Ghana,Botswana,Angola,Algeria,South Africa,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Russia,Austria,Israel,Germany,Italy,United States,Yemen,Philippines,Pakistan,Sri Lanka,Tunisia,Brazil,Burkina Faso,Egypt,Côte d'Ivoire,Malawi,Mauritania,Morocco,Namibia,Niger,Nigeria,Congo (ROC),Senegal,Tanzania,Uganda,Zambia,Zimbabwe,Argentina,Ecuador,Chile,Honduras,Guatemala,United Arab Emirates,Trinidad & Tobago,Jordan,Dominican Republic,Singapore,Kazakhstan,Liberia,Saudi Arabia,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Congo (DRC),Guyana,Mauritius,Latvia,Oman,Nepal,Somalia,Bolivia,Colombia,Venezuela,Peru,Mexico,Qatar,Kuwait,Indonesia,Malaysia,Thailand
Brazilian Gun Industry Seeks New Markets: Africa and Asia [Portugues]
27 January 2012
Publica (Brazil)
[Translated summary: With the support of the Ministries of Defence and Foreign Affairs, Brazilian gun manufacturers seek new markets in countries with a history of human rights violations: Tunisia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Philippines and Yemen. Brazil is among the six countries in the world with annual exports exceeding $ 100 million, according to recent research from Small Arms Survey. According to the Army, responsible for supervising and controlling exports from 2005 to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Publica (Brazil)
35794
Sudan
Amnesty in South Sudan, Civilians Urged to Handover their Guns
16 January 2012
Sudan Tribune (France)
BENTIU - Forces from South Sudan's army, Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), have begun a disarmament campaign in Unity state's volatile Mayom County where rebels have been fighting the government.
The South Sudan Liberation Army (SSLA) began it's rebellion early last year vowing to overthrow the Juba government because of its corruption, tribalism and nepotism.
On Monday Mayom's Commissioner, Martin Machot Deng, warned citizens through state radio Bentiu FM 99 to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
35744
Uganda
Uganda Disarmament Nears End - Army Seized 30,000 Guns in 10 Years
13 December 2011
Monitor (Kampala)
NAKAPIRIPIRIT — The army has finally pulled out of the disarmament exercise in Karamoja after 10 years of rigorously pursuing Karimojong warriors to surrender illegal guns.
According to a UPDF report, illegal guns flooded the region in 1979 when Idi Amin's regime was overthrown and soldiers abandoned a major weapons armoury.
The warriors looted the weapons which they later used to carry out cattle rustling and other forms of robbery. The army said the disarmament... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Monitor (Kampala)
35662
Caribbean,Cuba
Cuba to Help Caribbean Nations Fight Illegal Drugs, Arms Trade
10 December 2011
Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday
Cuban President Raul Castro has offered to assist Caricom to combat the illicit trade in small arms and narcotics.
This was identified by St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas as one of several points of agreement contained in the Declaration of Port-of-Spain which was released following the conclusion of the Fourth Caricom-Cuba Summit at the National Academy for the Performing Arts (NAPA) in Port-of-Spain on Thursday night.
Addressing a news conference... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Trinidad and Tobago's Newsday
35653
Jamaica,Honduras,Israel,Canada,Norway,Australia,Colombia,El Salvador,United States,Venezuela,Pakistan,Mexico
Armed Societies, Another Tragedy for Women: Mexico, Pakistan, Venezuela
9 December 2011
Inter Press Service News Agency
CARACAS - Kairobis Arcia, 25, died from a bullet to her head shot by her husband, Oswaldo Mendoza, 32, who said he was blinded by jealousy in an argument fuelled by alcohol and drugs.
Her murder was just one of the more than 468,000 homicides a year that occur worldwide, 42 percent of which are committed with firearms. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the global murder rate is 6.9 per 100,000 people – 11.9 per 100,000 among men and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
35654
Russia,Mozambique,Nigeria,India,Australia,East Africa,Eastern Europe,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Global: Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Dumps Increasing - IRIN / SAS
5 December 2011
IRIN (UN News)
JOHANNESBURG - The rate of accidents at munitions storage sites has risen to unprecedented levels in 2011, despite a growing international commitment to assist countries in managing their weapons and ammunition stockpiles.
"During the first ten months of 2011, the average number of explosions has increased to more than three per month - the highest rate recorded in a calendar year," said the Small Arms Survey (SAS), a Geneva-based NGO monitoring small arms and armed... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
35622
Congo (DRC),Africa,Kenya,United States
High-price US Fashion Jewellery Made from AK-47s Funds Gun Destruction
30 November 2011
New York Times
When Cara Buono arrived at the Emmy Awards in September, nominated as best guest actress in a drama series for her role as Dr. Faye Miller in "Mad Men," she wore a $150,000 political statement in her lobes. "These earrings," she said, "are made from AK-47 gun metal."
Ms. Buono's husband, Peter Thum, is a founder, with John Zapolski, of Fonderie 47, an organization that converts what is perhaps the most widely distributed assault rifle into jewelry.
On a visit to Kenya... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
35610
Sudan
South Sudan Government in Fresh Battle to Disarm Civilians
27 November 2011
Radio Netherlands / ANP / AFP
One of Africa's longest-running wars left this land in ruins and battling a bitter legacy that threatens prospects for peace -- a stockpile of weapons spurring cattle raids and banditry.
After seceding from the north in July, South Sudan begun a clean-up to rid civilians of arms taken up during the brutal two-decade civil war with the Khartoum army in the north.
But despite the efforts, many continue to live in fear of rampant livestock theft committed by men who... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Radio Netherlands / ANP / AFP
35589
Algeria,France,Mauritania,Mali,Israel,Egypt,United States,West Africa,Niger,North Africa,Libya
Smuggled Libyan Arms Threaten to Destabilise Swath of African Continent
12 November 2011
Wall Street Journal
Weapons smuggled from Libya after the collapse of Moammar Gadhafi's government are flowing through the surrounding region, the president of the west African nation of Niger said Friday, a development that threatens to destabilize a swath of the continent already struggling against ethnic unrest and a regional branch of al Qaeda.
"Arms were stolen in Libya and are being disseminated all over the region," President Mahamadou Issoufou told reporters following a meeting... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Wall Street Journal
35536
Guatemala,El Salvador,Mexico,United States,Honduras,South America,Central America,Caribbean
Latin American Leaders Demand International Action on Arms Trafficking
11 November 2011
InSight Crime (Bogota)
The 2011 Ibero-American Summit, held in Asuncion, Paraguay in October, was criticized for its failures, but leaders used the platform to call attention to the global arms trade and demand international cooperation on more effective measures to fight weapons trafficking and organized crime.
At the close of the summit, the member countries issued a separate and special declaration (available in pdf format here) defining public security as a precondition for economic and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: InSight Crime (Bogota)
35537
Burkina Faso
Proliferation of Small Arms in Burkina, New Actors Committed [Francais]
10 November 2011
Sidwaya (Burkina Faso)
[Translated summary: According to the National Commission for the Fight against Proliferation of Small Arms (CNLPAL), around 2 million small arms are circulating in Burkina Faso. Many of these small arms are home-made. During 2008, 248 small arms were seized, including 170 home-made, against 378 seized in 2009, including 249 home-made. In the first quarter of 2010, 140 small arms were seized, including 50 home-made.]
La Commission nationale de lutte contre la... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sidwaya (Burkina Faso)
35525
Uganda
Ten-year Drive to Disarm Uganda Results in 900 Deaths, Mainly Civilians
8 November 2011
Monitor (Kampala)
At least 900 people, majority of them civilians have been killed in the north-eastern Karamoja region since the UPDF launched a disarmament exercise 10 years ago.
According to a report released this year by the UPDF, 623 civilians and 269 soldiers were killed either in crossfire or ambushes, which brought the army under the spotlight over alleged human rights abuses as they carried out disarmament.
The report also shows that 417 civilians and 289 soldiers were injured... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Monitor (Kampala)
35519
Ghana
Blacksmiths Resolve to End Illicit Gun Manufacturing in Tamale, Ghana
3 November 2011
Ghana News Agency
A group of Blacksmith in Tamale on Tuesday resolved to put an end to the illicit manufacturing and fixing of arms as their quota towards ensuring peace in the area.
They also pledged to report any person or group of persons who is found manufacturing illicit arms since it has negative repercussions on the socio-economic development of the country.
The group made the resolution at a sensitisation forum organised by the Ghana National Commission on Small Arms (GNACSA)... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Ghana News Agency
35498
Sudan
South Sudan's Army to Begin Disarming Civilians in Unity State
2 November 2011
Sudan Tribune (France)
RUMBEK - South Sudan's army has begun deploying two battalions to carry out a disarmament campaign in Unity state this week.
Since a 2005 peace deal that led the South Sudan's independence in July this year, former rebels, the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), have been the official army of the region.
Despite hostilities with north Sudan ending six years ago South Sudan remains insecure with various rebels groups and local people carrying weapons.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
35500
India,Afghanistan,Iraq,Sierra Leone,South Africa,Saudi Arabia,United States,United Kingdom,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
'The Shadow World', an Incisive Exposé of the ArmsTrade - Book Review
1 November 2011
Telegraph (UK), Book review
If there is one book unlikely to appear on the Christmas reading lists of the former defence secretary Liam Fox and his self-professed adviser Adam Werritty, one suspects that this is it. The sorry case of Dr Fox and the mystery chum-cum-lobbyist amplifies what critics of the defence procurement industry – Feinstein prefers the racier "global arms trade" – have long argued. To put it mildly, and in a nutshell, it is not known for its transparency. Nor, for that... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Telegraph (UK)
35511
West Africa,Africa,Nigeria
Nigeria Urges International Community to Tackle Proliferation of Illicit Arms
27 October 2011
Africa Report (Jeune Afrique)
Lawrence Olefumi Obisakin, a senior director in Nigeria's Ministry of Foreign Affairs told a United Nations General Assembly committee responsible for disarmament and international security that it was time the international community tackled the proliferation of illicit arms.
"We expect no less of a treaty which provides the legal basis for international trade in conventional weapons," he said.
"The government of Nigeria is deeply concerned at the magnitude of human... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Africa Report (Jeune Afrique)
35479
Liberia
Ban on Ownership, Use of Firearms, Ammunition Extended in Liberia
26 October 2011
Heritage (Monrovia)
An Executive Order, reinstituting a total ban on the ownership and use of firearms and ammunitions in Liberia, has been extended. Executive Order No. 34 bans the possession, use, sale or manufacture of firearms, which include all arms of precision such as flintlock guns with unrifled barrels and shotguns. The ban excludes single-barrel guns used solely for hunting, which must, however, be registered with the Ministry of Justice through the Office of the Superintendent... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Heritage (Monrovia)
35469
Venezuela
Venezuela Women Less Involved in Gun Crimes [Espanol]
24 October 2011
El Universal (Caracas)
[Translated summary: A more detailed review of Venezuela National Survey of Victimisation and Perception of Public Safety 2009 allows to affirm that women are consistently less involved in episodes involving firearms, either as victims or as perpetrators. The age group mainly victimised by firearms, for all crimes, is between 45 and 54 years.]
Una revisión más detallada de la Encuesta Nacional de Victimización y Percepción de Seguridad Ciudadana 2009 permite... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: El Universal (Caracas)
35453
India,Spain,United Kingdom,Italy,Germany,France,Czech Republic,Bulgaria,Belgium,Austria,Yemen,Syria,Libya,Egypt,Bahrain,West Asia,North Africa,Europe,Russia,United States
Major Arms Exporters Accused of Mideast Gun Sales Before Human Rights
24 October 2011
al Jazeera
According to an Amnesty International report, the US, Russia and a number of European countries supplied large quantities of weapons to repressive governments in the Middle East and North Africa before this year's uprisings.
The report says that these arms deals were signed despite evidence of a substantial risk that they could be used to commit serious human rights violations.
The human rights group reports that in the five years preceding the Arab spring $2.4bn... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: al Jazeera
35448
Côte d'Ivoire
Amnesty in Daloa, Ivory Coast: 31 Small Arms Collected [Francais]
14 October 2011
Abidjan Net (Côte d'Ivoire)
[Translated summary: The Ivory Coast Commission for the Fight Against the Proliferation and Illicit Circulation of Small Arms and Light Weapons has launched a disarmament campaign in Daloa. So far, 31 arms (including weapons of war, submachine guns, AK-47, and hand-made rifles) and 639 ammunition were collected.]
La Commission nationale de lutte contre la prolifération et la circulation illicite des armes légères et de petits calibres en Côte d'Ivoire (ComNat-CI)... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Abidjan Net (Côte d'Ivoire)
35411
Libya,Mali
The Return of Ex-Combatants from Libya to Mali Worries [Francais]
12 October 2011
Radio France Internationale (Afrique)
[Translated summary: The return of Malian ex-combatants, from Libya to Mali, worries. They come back with an important military arsenal and these weapons will easily find takers in Sahel.]
Dans le nord du Mali, plusieurs dizaines d'ex-combattants libyens d'origine malienne sont attendus d'ici quelques jours. Il s'agit de membres de l'armée libyenne pro-Kadhafi, qui ont été défaits et qui cherchent aujourd'hui à retourner dans leur pays d'origine. Mais alors que... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Radio France Internationale (Afrique)
35412
Europe,North America,St Lucia,Barbados,Antigua & Barbuda,Trinidad & Tobago,St Kitts & Nevis,Jamaica,Bahamas,Caribbean
Caribbean Nations Demand Global Gun Trade Treaty to Curb Armed Crime
11 October 2011
Caribbean 360 (Barbados)
NEW YORK, United States - Battling the scourge of rising crime and violence and some of the world's highest murders rates, Caribbean nations are appealing to the United Nation for help.
They are urging the world body to help them stem the unrelenting flow of guns and ammunition to the region.
From the Bahamas, Jamaica and St. Kitts-Nevis, countries with some of the world's highest homicide rates, Trinidad and Tobago, which already has a state of emergency in place... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Caribbean 360 (Barbados)
35396
Uganda,Sudan,Ethiopia,Somalia,Kenya
Onus Now on Kenya Government to Halt the Firearms Threat - Opinion
9 October 2011
Daily Nation (Nairobi), Opinion
Recent revelations that there are between 200,000 and 450,000 illegal firearms in circulation in the country are quite alarming.
The government must move fast to ensure that this trend of events is put to an immediate halt.
We believe that the country's porous borders are a contributory factor and the authorities must step up efforts to eradicate the menace.
The National Small Arms Mapping Survey, a joint effort between the government and the Swiss-based Small Arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Nation (Nairobi)
35387
United States
America's Founding Fathers, Towns Once Imposed Strict Gun Control
9 October 2011
New York Times, Book review
In "Gunfight," his provocative, highly uneven new book about the fight over gun control, the constitutional law professor Adam Winkler writes that "gun rights and gun control are not only compatible; they have lived together since the birth of America." He argues that "despite the controversy over the meaning of the Second Amendment, Americans have always had the right to keep and bear arms as a matter of state constitutional law. Today, nearly every state has such a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
35385
Burundi
Burundi Launches 5-yr Programme to Control Proliferation of Firearms
9 October 2011
Coast Week (Kenya)
BUJUMBURA (Xinhua) - Burundian First Vice-President Therence Sinunguruza Friday launched here in the east African nation's capital Bujumbura a five-year national action plan to control the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
During the official launch of the new program, the Burundian first vice-president said the proliferation of small and illicit arms exists in Burundi.
"The proliferation of small and illicit arms is real in Burundi and constitutes a real... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Coast Week (Kenya)
35383
Southern Africa,Central Africa,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Africa,South America,Central America,Caribbean
Men Most Affected by Homicide, 40-60% Involve Guns, Says UN [Francais]
5 October 2011
Le Parisien (France) / AFP
[Translated summary: According to a new report on homicide from UNODC (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime), most of the 468,000 homicides in 2010 took place in Africa and in Latin America. Firearms were involved in 42%. In Central America and the Caribbean, firearms were involved in three quarters of the homicides.]
La plupart des 468.000 homicides commis dans le monde en 2010 ont eu lieu en Afrique et en Amérique latine et concernent surtout des hommes, a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Parisien (France) / AFP
35377
Canada
Canada Gun Control Not Linked to Homicide Rates - Study
5 October 2011
National Post (Toronto)
Criminal record checks, 28-day waiting periods, the long-gun registry: none has done anything to stem Canadian firearm homicide rates, according to a new study by an emergency-medicine academic.
"No significant beneficial associations between firearms legislation and homicide or spousal homicide rates were found," reads the abstract on the study, written by Caillin Langmann, a resident in the division of emergency medicine at McMaster University, and himself a vocal... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: National Post (Toronto)
35371
Pakistan
Guns Easily Available and Increasingly Used Against Women in Pakistan
30 September 2011
Inter Press Service News Agency
PESHAWAR - Guns available in new abundance in the troubled north of Pakistan are increasingly being used on women in 'honour' killings and domestic disputes, according to local reports.
"About 65 percent of the women killed fall prey to gunfire in honour-related cases and issues relating to domestic violence," local security analyst Brigadier (retired) Muhammad Saad told IPS.
Citing a study by the local Awaz Foundation, he said the problem has been caused by easy... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
35342
Libya
'Everyone in Tripoli Has at Least One Gun' [Francais]
28 September 2011
Au Fait (Morocco) / AFP
[Translated summary: 'Everyone in Tripoli has at least one gun'; Teenagers brandish AK-47 to armed combatants; An AK-47 now costs $650. The proliferation of weapons in Libya worries the new authorities and the international community.]
Des adolescents brandissant des kalachnikovs dans les rues de Tripoli aux combattants armés de lance-roquettes sur le front, les armes sont partout en Libye et mettent en péril l'assise des nouvelles autorités. Hors de Libye,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Au Fait (Morocco) / AFP
35344
Caribbean,Jamaica
Tighter Regulation Needed on Small Arms Trade, said Jamaica at UN
27 September 2011
Middle East North Africa Financial Network
An international regime is needed to regulate the sale and transfer of small and light weapons, Jamaica's Deputy Prime Minister told the General Assembly's annual general debate today.
"Jamaica, like its Caribbean Community (CARICOM) partners, continues to face severe threats to our long-term socio-economic development from the illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, small arms and light weapons and ammunition," Kenneth Baugh said .
Mr. Baugh said progress on the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Middle East North Africa Financial Network
35337
East Africa,Somalia,Sudan,Uganda,Ethiopia,Kenya
Hundreds Die in Gun Violence, Cattle Rustling in East African Drought
20 September 2011
Think Africa Press, Opinion
TURKANA, Kenya - On a recent trip to Turkana in northern Kenya, somewhere between Maralal and Baragoi we stopped by a dry riverbed. A group of 12 men came into view through the desert scrub. As they drew closer their weapons were clearly visible, a mix of AK47s, ex-government issue G3s and a few older rifles. Our nervousness was unwarranted and the group barely slowed as they passed, merely raising their hands in greeting before continuing on towards some distant... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Think Africa Press
35315
Pakistan
Computerisation of Firearm Licences in Pakistan: a Right Initiative
18 September 2011
Associated Press of Pakistan
ISLAMABAD - Proliferation of small arms are known to have played a pivotal role in fueling insurgency, terrorism as well as formation of urban gangs and at the same time undermined development initiatives or other moves to bring about peace in the country.Successive regimes kept adopting numerous measures to stop the relentless spread of firearms in society and also launched campaigns in their tenures, but all this went in vain.Today as the already fragile law and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press of Pakistan
35291
Tanzania,Sudan,Somalia,Seychelles,Kenya,Eritrea,Ethiopia,Djibouti,East Africa,Congo (DRC),Rwanda,Burundi
RECSA Calls for Increased Efforts to Reduce Small Arms in East Africa
16 September 2011
New Times (Rwanda)
The Executive Secretary of the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA), Dr. Francis K. Sang, has called upon all countries within the region to come up with more mechanisms and strategies to fight against the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons.
RECSA is an intergovernmental body based in Nairobi, Kenya, bringing together 13 countries from the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa region.
All member states that subscribe to the centre, including Rwanda, are... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Times (Rwanda)
35284
Iraq,Caribbean,Jamaica,Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad Now Rivals Jamaica As the Most Violent Country in Caribbean
10 September 2011
Trinidad and Tobago Express
Trinidad and Tobago now rivals Jamaica as the most violent country in the Caribbean, with the number of annual murders rising sharply from 98 to 550 over the last decade, with some areas in the Port of Spain police division being listed among the most dangerous in the world.
This is the finding of a new United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) draft report on Human Development and Citizen Security in the Caribbean, which noted, among other things, that the murder... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Trinidad and Tobago Express
35260
Russia,United States,European Union,Belgium,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,Burundi
Development, Security Require a World Without Small Arms [Francais]
9 August 2011
Pax Christi Wallonie Bruxelles (Brussels)
[Translated summary: In Burundi, the authorities spend each year an average of 5 dollars per person for health care. Each gun injury costs 163 dollars to the health care system. Three quarters of the global budget for health care is thus spent on these injuries!]
Au Burundi, les autorités consacrent en moyenne 5 dollars par habitant aux soins de santé chaque année. Chaque blessure causée par une arme à feu coûte 163 dollars au système des soins de santé. Trois... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Pax Christi Wallonie Bruxelles (Brussels)
35176
Ghana
Ghana's Border Agents Urged To Be Vigilant To Stem Gun Smuggling
9 August 2011
Ghana News Agency
ELMINA - The National Commission on Small Arms (NCSA) had urged security personnel at Ghana's borders to be vigilant and help stem the proliferation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons into the country.
Mr Jones Applerh, Acting Executive Secretary of the NCSA, who made the call, described as worrying the fact that some 66 percent of illicit arms that found their way into Ghana were trafficked along its borders and urged the Commission and its partners... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Ghana News Agency
35174
Africa,Nigeria
Nigeria Gun Amnesty Programme 2 Years Later: A 'Huge Success'
4 August 2011
Daily Champion (Lagos)
When former President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua approved the implementation of the Niger Delta Amnesty programme two years ago, he, most likely, would not have imagined that it would become the huge success that it presently has become.
At the time he made the historic move, the Niger Delta region was, literally, a war zone. Militant youths, armed with sophisticated weapons controlled different parts of the states of the region, killing, maiming or kidnapping people,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Champion (Lagos)
35159
South Africa,Brazil,Argentina,Australia,Mexico,United States,Canada,Africa,Sweden,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas
Canada Gun Lobby Influence on Foreign Policy: Arms Trade Treaty
3 August 2011
Embassy Magazine (Canada), Opinion
Canada has never been a strong supporter of international efforts to negotiate an effective Arms Trade Treaty. But in mid-July, it reversed its previous low-key but constructive role at the United Nations ATT preparatory meetings to become a potential treaty spoiler. All indications point to this change of heart arising from the domestic gun lobby's influence on Canadian foreign policy.
After years of preparation, member states of the United Nations will devote a month... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Embassy Magazine (Canada)
35160
Sri Lanka,Sudan,Malawi,Zambia,Mozambique,Macedonia,Liberia,Sierra Leone,West Africa,Africa,South Africa
Africa: Analysis: How Best to Remove Guns from Post-conflict Zones?
28 July 2011
IRIN (UN News)
JOHANNESBURG - Cash for guns or buy-back programmes in post-conflict states have fallen out of favour as a method of ridding a society of weapons, and have been replaced by often elaborate schemes designed to remove money from the equation, but the debate continues as to the best way forward.
The disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) community has grappled for years with buy-back practices and acknowledges they can have a profound effect on the nature of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
35133
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone Launched 5-yr Plan to Regulate Sale and Use of Small Arms
25 July 2011
News24 (Cape Town) / AFP
Freetown - Sierra Leone has launched a five-year plan to regulate the sale and use of small arms, which still abound a decade after the end of a civil war, causing insecurity, an official said on Monday.
"The proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons account for 90% of the economic uncertainty" in the country, the head of Sierra Leone's Small Arms Commission (SAC), retired Brigadier Leslie Lymon, said.
He told AFP that a five year national action plan... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: News24 (Cape Town) / AFP
35115
Norway,Philippines
Stricter Gun Control in Philippines Could Prevent Norway-type Shooting
25 July 2011
Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - A senior military officer reminded the people yesterday that the enforcement of laws against illegal firearms and the vigilance of citizens are needed to prevent violent incidents similar to those that claimed the lives of more than 90 people in Norway last Saturday.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) deputy chief for operations Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr. said public vigilance would complement the efforts of the security forces.
"Two... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Philippine Star
35109
Sierra Leone
Small Arms Eradication Targeted for Action in Sierra Leone
21 July 2011
Cocorioko.net (Sierre Leone)
A Five Year National Action Plan on Small Arms was today presented at a State House ceremony attended by President Ernest Bai Koroma, Vice President Sam Sumana, Ministers and Development Partners . The Plan covering the period 2011-2015 is the Working Document of the Small Arms Commission which provides a framework detailing interventions, strategies and activities to be undertaken in regulating the manufacture, sale and use of Small Arms and Light weapons (SALW) in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Cocorioko.net (Sierre Leone)
35094
Caribbean,Jamaica
Caricom Worried about Proliferation of Illegal Guns in Caribbean Region
15 July 2011
Jamaica Observer
BASSETERRE, St Kitts — Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas says the proliferation of small arms into the region is posing a serious threat to the stability of the Caribbean.
Dr Douglas, the chairman of the 15-member Caribbean Community (Caricom) grouping, said that the trafficking of small arms in the region will be a matter for discussion, adding that the use of guns in the settlement of disputes had become an alarming issue in recent years.
"This never, ever used to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Jamaica Observer
35060
Côte d'Ivoire
Côte D'ivoire: UN to Collect Surrendered Small Arms in Abidjan
14 July 2011
US News & World Report
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in Côte d'Ivoire will on Friday start collecting small arms handed in voluntarily by militiamen in the Yopougon suburb of the West African country's commercial capital, Abidjan, it was announced today.
The exercise will be carried out by the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reintegration (DDR) Division of the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), in partnership with the National Commission of Light Weapons, the National... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: US News & World Report
35061
Congo (DRC)
Proliferation of Small Arms in East of Congo DRC - Study [Francais]
5 July 2011
Digital Congo (Congo DRC) / La Prospérité
[Translated summary: More than 300,000 firearms are held by civilians in the East region of Congo DRC. The two most common firearms are assault rifles and non-automatic rifles. These numbers can be found in a new study published by the UNDP/DRC.]
Plus de 300 000 armes à feu sont détenues par des civils dans l'Est de la RDC. Les deux armes les plus fréquemment détenus par les ménages sont le fusil d'assaut et le fusil non automatique.
« Armes légères dans la... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Digital Congo (Congo DRC) / La Prospérité
35023
Ghana,Nigeria,Côte d'Ivoire,Libya,West Africa
West Africa Faces Spiral of Gun Running, Mercenaries and Armed Violence
3 July 2011
Daily Sun (Nigeria), Editorial
The alert by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on trafficking in arms and mercenaries in the sub region deserves urgent attention.
This is more so as it has been reported that the increasing shootings and bombings in the Northern part of the country have cross border influences. The ECOWAS intelligence report revealed that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in West Africa is the fallout of the ongoing crisis in Libya and the recent... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Sun (Nigeria)
35008
Kenya,Sudan
Southern Sudan Faces Major Challenge in Disarming 150,000 Soldiers
2 July 2011
Daily Nation (Nairobi)
Southern Sudan is facing a major challenge of disarming more than 150,000 soldiers and easing them back to civilian life when it gains independence this week.
Southern Sudan Disarmament Demobilisation and Reintegration Commission chairman William Deng Deng said the new state wants to get rid of excess forces including the elderly, disabled and children.
"These are soldiers that are no longer useful after the war. We now need an organised, professional, controllable... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Nation (Nairobi)
35005
Oceania,Africa,Pakistan,Americas,Europe,Asia
Need to 'Disarm Society to Make it More Secure and Strengthen Pakistan'
22 June 2011
Observer (Pakistan)
ISLAMABAD — "It is not the weapon but the sophistication of weapon which threatens the human beings and makes the militant stronger" commented Brig (R) Muhammad Saad at a seminar on 'Proliferation of Small Arms and their Impact on Internal Security Dynamics' held in Islamabad on Friday.
The speakers called for strict check on proliferation of small arms and prohibition of gun violence by restricting use of arms. Irfan Mufti of SAP-Pakistan suggested that "we should... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Observer (Pakistan)
34973
Africa,Pakistan,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas
Small Arms Cause 60-90 Per Cent Deaths Each Year in Pakistan
19 June 2011
Nation (Pakistan)
ISLAMABAD - Small arms are the reason for 60 to 90 per cent deaths due to direct conflicts that occur each year.
Approximately 90,000 people were killed every year while 1.5 million people were injured every year. Ismat Ullah Khan, Project Officer of SPADO, an NGO, supporting implementation of UN programme of action and de-weaponisation, said this during a press conference here on Saturday.
He said there is trade of small arms worth $ 10 billion in black market per... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Nation (Pakistan)
34971
Philippines
Philippine Government Supports a Strong Arms Trade Treaty (ATT)
19 June 2011
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Opinion
Every day around the world, armed violence kills approximately 2,000 people. In the Philippines, reports estimate the casualties at between 16 and 22 each day.
The Philippine Action Network to Control Arms (PhilANCA) is pleased that the Philippines is supporting an Arms Trade Treaty in the United Nations. The treaty aims to diminish and prevent the obscene human cost of the irresponsible trade in arms.
However, we do not need just any Arms Trade Treaty. We need a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Philippine Daily Inquirer
34960
Germany,China,Nepal,Italy,India,United States
High Incidence of Small Arms Violence in Nepal: India Border, Armed Women
16 June 2011
MSN News / Indo-Asian News Service
KATHMANDU -- As over 70 countries in the world Thursday begin observing the Global Week of Action Against Gun Violence, peace activists rue that even five years after the end of an armed insurrection, Nepal is still wracked by gunfire, thanks to the 1,800-km open border with India.
'There have been 1,013 incidents of violence caused by small arms in the last 17 months,' says Subodh Pyakurel, chief of Informal Sector Service Center (Insec), Nepal's largest NGO that... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: MSN News / Indo-Asian News Service
34975
Europe,Asia,Oceania,Americas,Africa
UN Programme of Action on Small Arms: Assessment of the Past 10 Years
15 June 2011
NATO Review
In 2001, UN member states signed up to a politically binding plan to tackle small arms. They did this amidst a growing awareness that the illicit manufacture, transfer and circulation of small arms and light weapons - and their excessive accumulation and uncontrolled spread in many parts of the world - was undermining human security and development.
The 2001 UN Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: NATO Review
34944
Uganda,East Africa,Somalia,Ethiopia,Sudan,Kenya
East Africa: Put Down Your Gun, Pick Up Your Baton and Run for Peace
12 June 2011
East African (Nairobi)
As she posed for a picture with cattle rustlers long used to treating guns as toys, East African Community Deputy Secretary General for Political Federation Beatrice Kiraso made a provocative statement.
"The richest people in the world are not cattle keepers but industrialised nations," she told an audience of mainly cattle keeping communities during the 8th edition of the Moroto Peace Race recently.
You don't tell that to a community that lives and dies for cattle.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: East African (Nairobi)
34955
South America,Central America,Caribbean,St Kitts & Nevis
Violence in Latin America and Caribbean "an Unrelenting Epidemic"
8 June 2011
Communications Unit of the Office of the Prime Minister of St Kitts & Nevis, Media release
BASSETERRE, St Kitts -- Violence in Latin America and the Caribbean is now an unrelenting epidemic, which is having a deadly impact on Socio-Economic development.
"As our populations become more youthful, the issues which we must address to keep young people alive, and secure, take on greater urgency. The youth agenda, more critical in its urging, begs to underscore the importance of debating youth issues and integrating them into the development of national and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Communications Unit of the Office of the Prime Minister of St Kitts & Nevis
34906
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands Inputs in Negotiations on the International Arms Trade Treaty
31 May 2011
Solomon Star (Solomon Star)
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs must get whole of government support and develop a comprehensive policy framework to ensure that the planned international arms trade treaty (ATT) has the most benefit to the Solomon Islands.
These were some of the recommendations emerging from a national consultation held in Honiara last Thursday on the treaty, which aims to create a legally binding international framework to regulate the trade in conventional weapons.
If successful... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Solomon Star (Solomon Star)
34873
Papua New Guinea
Gun Violence Seen as Sign of Growing Disparity in Papua New Guinea
28 October 2010
Radio New Zealand International (Shortwave)
A spokesperson for Papua New Guinea's Coalition Against Gun Violence says the proliferation of guns in the community is symptomatic of a growing social disparity.
There are calls for action amid fears the presence of guns could undermine development projects.
A former senior police officer, John Toguata, was part of the gun control committee, which toured the country several years ago garnering people's views on what to do about guns, but so far the government hasn't... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Radio New Zealand International (Shortwave)
33561
Africa,Nigeria
Nigerian President Accuses Developed Nations of Dumping Guns in Africa
25 June 2010
Agence France Presse
TORONTO — Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan Friday denounced the dumping of small arms and light weapons in Africa by developed countries, calling it one of the major causes of underdevelopment in the continent.
Jonathan, who is scheduled to speak to the G8 summit on its Millenium Development Goals, told journalists he would raise his concerns with world leaders, calling arms proliferation "one of the things that disturb me most."
"The excessive dumping of small... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Agence France Presse
32893
Liberia
West Africa Threatened by Proliferation of Guns, Says Liberia to UN
25 June 2010
Analyst (Liberia)
Liberia's permanent Representative to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union Ambassador Conmany B. Wesseh has told a world conference that the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons poses great threat to global peace and security and that his native country, Liberia, can testify to such danger.
Amb. Wesseh, who is also the chairman of the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LINCSA), is the head of a five man delegation to the United States... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Analyst (Liberia)
32892
Bosnia & Herzegovina,United States
US Pays Bosnians to Destroy 67,000 Guns, 20,000 Tonnes of Ammo
22 May 2010
Voice of America, Editorial
On May 13, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Thomas Masiello and Bosnia and Herzegovina's Minister of Defense Selmo Cikotic, signed a Joint Statement in which both countries pledge to destroy 67 thousand excess small arms and 20 thousand tons of surplus conventional ammunition and explosive ordnance. The process is expected to take several years.
Bosnia and Herzegovina has made some progress on reforms in the past year, particularly in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Voice of America
32722
Sudan
Critics Question Worth of Coercive Disarmament, Gun Seizure in Sudan
17 May 2010
IRIN (UN News)
JUBA, Sudan - Southern Sudanese authorities have stepped up efforts to collect illegal weapons in Lakes State, but critics say the process is prone to abuse and has left some communities unprotected.
"Disarmament is a good thing, but the style of doing it needs to be changed," said Madhang Majok, commissioner for Cueibet County, said. "The soldiers [deployed to collect the arms] were very rude. Local authorities were not involved."
The state has become a prime... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
32685
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone Civil Society Groups Promote Global Gun Trade Treaty
14 May 2010
Awoko (Freetown)
The Sierra Leone Action Network on Small Arms (SLANSA) has urged the government of Sierra Leone to support the UN Firearms Protocol meeting in New York on June 18 this year.
SLANSA Coordinator Florella Hazeley told reporters yesterday that the protocol is the only binding global agreement on firearms which are too easily smuggled across national borders.
She added "we urge the government to review and harmonize laws on firearms and domestic violence and domestic... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Awoko (Freetown)
32683
Nigeria
Ex-militants Surrender 20,000 Weapons in 'Faulty' Nigerian Gun Amnesty
13 May 2010
Vanguard (Lagos)
ABUJA - Presidential Adviser on Niger Delta and National Co-ordinator of the Post- Amnesty Programme, Mr. Timi Alaibe, has blamed the lull in the implementation of the programme on lack of proper planning before the announcement of the amnesty, given the fact that the nation was faced with a major crisis in the Niger Delta, at the time.
"We experienced some sort of delay in the programme because there was no structure on ground, no concrete plan document because we... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Vanguard (Lagos)
32670
Guinea-Bissau,Guinea,Gambia,West Africa,Senegal
West African NGO Launches Action Against Armed Violence in Senegal
12 May 2010
Afrique en ligne
DAKAR, Senegal - The Movement against Light Weapons in West Africa (MALA0), in partnership with civil society organizations, among them Présence chrétienne and SOS Equilibre, on Monday in Dakar, the Senegalese capital, launched a week-long action against armed violence.
The 10-16 May initiative, launched for the first time in 2001, aims at stopping the proliferation and the excessive use of small arms in the world.
The initiative will also sensitize and campaign for... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Afrique en ligne
32657
Guyana
Georgetown, Guyana Has 'Over 150,000 Illegal Guns,' Says Local YWCA
11 May 2010
Stabroek News (Guyana)
There are at least 150,000 persons in possession of illegal guns in Georgetown, General Secretary of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) Glynis Beaton said yesterday, while pointing out that the local "arms race" has created levels of armed violence at epidemic proportions.
"We are concerned about the increase in the levels and lethality of violence within our society, one within which our young people are learning the harsh realities of life and death... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Stabroek News (Guyana)
32998
East Africa,Uganda,Sudan,Ethiopia,Kenya
Kenya Police Promise Latest Gun Seizure Will Be Less Heavy-handed
7 May 2010
IRIN (UN News)
ISIOLO-SAMBURU (Kenya) - Thousands of security personnel have been deployed across northern Kenya to confiscate weapons after a voluntary disarmament exercise netted only a small fraction of the 50,000 guns thought to be in civilian hands.
Firearms are widespread among pastoralist communities in east Africa, where police are rare and cattle theft and intercommunal conflict is common. Similar operations are taking place in neighbouring Ethiopia, Sudan and Uganda.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
32634
United Nations,Central Africa
UN Secretary General Exhorts Central Africans to Combat Gun Runners
30 April 2010
UN News Centre (New York)
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today exhorted ministers from Central African nations to work towards adopting a legal instrument to combat illicit arms trafficking, a move that will help reduce violence and bring peace and security to countries in the sub-region.
"The link between arms trafficking and other illicit activities is increasingly undeniable," said Mr. Ban. "Yet Central Africa remains one of the few African sub-regions without a legally binding instrument to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: UN News Centre (New York)
32610
United States,Jamaica
Jamaican Prime Minister Blames US for Flood of Smuggled Crime Guns
21 April 2010
Caribbean Daily News (British Virgin Islands)
KINGSTON, Jamaica – Prime Minister Bruce Golding has said the importation of illegal guns from the united States is contributing significantly to the country's worsening crime situation.
"The security forces recover, on average, 600 guns each year. We suspect that a greater number enter the island each year, creating an ever increasing arsenal of illegal weapons snuffing out lives with callous brutality," Golding told Parliament as he made his contribution to the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Caribbean Daily News (British Virgin Islands)
32543
Africa,Central Africa,East Africa
Thirteen African States Strengthen Gun Control, Disarmament Guidelines
17 April 2010
Standard (Nairobi)
Proliferation of guns and other light weapons has become a serious security threat.
Efforts by Kenya, Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia to disarm pastoralists have failed to bear fruits and the arms trade and cattle rustling continue to thrive.
However, the Regional Centre On Small Arms (Recsa) plans to develop a common disarmament guideline for its 13 member States, including Kenya.
Recsa Executive Secretary Francis Sang says poor co-ordination and disorganised disarmament... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Standard (Nairobi)
32574
Africa,Nigeria
Nigeria Asks for America's Help to Reduce Proliferation of Guns in Africa
15 April 2010
Nigeria First (Abuja), Media release
Shortly before departing Washington D.C. on Wednesday April 14, Acting President Goodluck Jonathan called on members of the Black Caucus in the US Congress to stem the tide of proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Africa.
The Acting President, who met with the Group at the Capitol Hill in the US Capital City, urged the caucus to come up with a draft bill for the control of the dumping of small arms and light weapons in Africa.
Dr Jonathan said attributed... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Nigeria First (Abuja)
32535
Kenya
Armed Violence, Insecurity Undermine Development in Kenya's Turkana
31 March 2010
Inter Press Service News Agency
TURKANA, Kenya — The children are afraid. There are armed bandits hiding with stolen animals in the thickets behind Nawoyaregae Primary School in Kaputir Location.
Cattle rustling and gory battles between the neighbouring Turkana and Pokot communities are the order of the day in this area, some 700 kilometres northwest of Nairobi. A long tradition of cattle raiding has been sharpened by competition over grazing land and water.
"The pupils cannot attend classes... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
32440
Yemen,United States,United Nations
US Ramps Up Arms Exports to Yemen, Feeds Established Gun Culture
1 January 2010
Inter Press Service News Agency
UNITED NATIONS - When Yemen refused to vote in support of a U.S.-sponsored Security Council resolution against Iraq during the 1990-1991 Gulf War, a visibly angry U.S. delegate turned to the Yemeni diplomat and said: "That will be the last time you will ever vote against a U.S. resolution."
Washington's subsequent retaliation, in the aftermath of that negative vote, was predictable.
The United States not only downgraded its relationship with Yemen but also cut off all... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
31756
West Africa,Ghana
West African Journalists Commend 9 Countries for Tackling Gun Control
12 November 2009
Ghana News Agency
ACCRA — The West Africa Network of Journalists for Security and Development (WANJSD) on Wednesday commended the "Group of Nine ECOWAS Countries," for ratifying the Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW), their ammunition and other related materials.
Mr Francis Ameyibor, WANJSD Deputy General Secretary, stated in an interview with Ghana News Agency in Accra that considering the proliferation of SALW constituted a major destabilizing factor in West Africa,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Ghana News Agency
31473
Central Africa,East Africa,Kenya,Rwanda,Somalia,Sudan,Uganda,Burundi,Congo (DRC)
Small Arms Control Group Decries 'Huge' Proliferation of Guns in Africa
3 November 2009
Xinhua
NAIROBI — The Regional Center on Small Arms (RECSA) has decried the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the Great Lakes region, Horn of Africa and bordering states.
RECSA Executive Secretary Francis Sang noted that the center was working in collaboration with the UN Regional Center for Peace and Disarmament in Africa to promote disarmament.
To address this problem, he said, the governments should support the national, sub-regional, regional and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
31368
Namibia,Southern Africa
Local, US Experts Probe Illegal Gun Possession, Crime in Southern Africa
29 September 2009
New Era (Windhoek)
WINDHOEK — Military and security experts from across Southern Africa, the USA and Europe are meeting in Windhoek to identify practical measures that will help address problems caused by the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALW).
The proliferation of SALW poses a serious security challenge, as not only do the they prolong the duration of armed conflict but also threaten long term stability and development in Southern Africa.
The Enhancing... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Era (Windhoek)
31108
Namibia
Global Shooting Lobby Touts Killing African Game Animals to Save Them
16 September 2009
New Era (Windhoek)
WINDHOEK — Scores of leading scientists, professionals and hunting industry representatives are meeting in Windhoek to exchange the latest research and information on the role of hunting on ecology and the economy.
The meeting, the first-ever symposium on 'Ecological and Economic Benefits of Hunting' to be organised by the World Forum on the Future of Sport Shooting Activities (WFSA), has brought together 60 representatives from 20 countries.
Namibia, one of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Era (Windhoek)
31012
United Nations
UN Mexico Meeting Tackles Global Gun Trade, Security, Development
11 September 2009
United Nations
MEXICO CITY — Taking weapons out of the hands of those who used them would help save lives everywhere, but that alone would not stop the thriving global arms trade and make the planet safer, Alfredo Ferrariz Lubang, Regional Representative of the Bangkok-based Nonviolence International South East Asia, said as the sixty-second annual DPI/NGO Conference continued in Mexico City this morning.
Speaking during a round-table discussion titled "Removing the Tools of Armed... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Nations
30939
West Africa
Governments, NGOs Talk Up Fight Against Gun Trafficking in West Africa
10 September 2009
Daily Observer (Monrovia)
MONROVIA — Stakeholders in the fight against small arms and light weapons in West Africa have ended a one-day retreat at Thinker's Village along Roberts International Airport (RIA) Highway in Monrovia.
For years, they have been involved in a holistic fight against proliferation of small arms and light weapons in the sub-region.
The day-long Inter-Agency Synergy Retreat was organized by the Liberia National Commission on Small Arms (LINCSA), in collaboration with the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Observer (Monrovia)
30932
Papua New Guinea
Report Finally Tabled: Gun Culture 'Almost Cripples' Papua New Guinea
12 August 2009
Islands Business (Suva)
Three years and 10 months after a government committee looked into the gun issue in Papua New Guinea, Sir Michael Somare's government has finally tabled the committee's report in Parliament.
Internal Security Minister Sani Rambi when tabling the report with its 244 recommendations admitted the country has a very serious gun problem that needs to be tackled as a matter of urgency. The widespread use of illegal guns throughout PNG has affected every sector of the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Islands Business (Suva)
30735
Nigeria
Rebels Retain Their Weapons in Slow Start for Niger Delta Gun Amnesty
10 August 2009
Inter Press Service News Agency
Nigeria's president Umaru Yar'Adua is embarking on an ambitious move to end armed insurgency in the country's oil-rich Niger Delta region.
Under a government initiative which started on Aug, 6, militants in the region have 60 days to hand over their arms in return for a presidential amnesty, unconditional pardon and reintegration programme.
As the first week of the amnesty period draws to a close, only a few weapons have been handed over at designated screening... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
30729
Oceania,United Nations,Australia,New Zealand,Fiji,Solomon Islands,Papua New Guinea
United Nations Gun Chief Says Pacific Has Illicit Small Arms Problem
25 June 2009
ABC Radio Australia (Shortwave), Audio
The United Nations is working to halt the daily toll of one-thousand people around the world killed by small arms. The job of halting the toll taken by small illegal weapons has now been placed in the hands of United Nations Ambassador, Pablo Macedo. Ambassador Macedo is Chair Designate for next year's United Nations Biennial Meeting of States on Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons.
Speaker: United Nations Ambassador, Pablo Macedo
Windows media (audio... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: ABC Radio Australia (Shortwave)
30404
Oceania,Australia,Solomon Islands,Papua New Guinea,Fiji,United Nations
Guns Threaten Pacific Stability, Ammunition Controls on Way, UN Told
24 June 2009
ABC Radio Australia (Shortwave)
Guns in the Pacific region have the potential to create chaos, economic damage and social disruption, a conference has been told.
The meeting of Pacific Island officials in Sydney was sponsored by the United Nations Disarmament Office and the Australian Government.
The two-day event, which has just wound up, looked at the scale of the problem and initiatives to tackle it.
It was chaired by Mexico's Pablo Macedo, at his first meeting in charge of steering UN... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: ABC Radio Australia (Shortwave)
30379
Oceania,United Nations
UN Meeting Tackles Gun Culture, Crime, Ammunition Curbs in the Pacific
24 June 2009
ABC Radio Australia (Shortwave) / Pacific Beat, Audio
Guns have the potential to create chaos, economic damage and social disruption in the Pacific. That is the message heard at a 2-day meeting of Pacific Island officials that has just wound up in Sydney.
The meeting, jointly sponsored by Australia and the United Nations Disarmament Office, looked at the scale of the problem and initiatives to tackle it.
Speakers:
Ambassador Pablo Macedo, Chair-Designate, UN small arms Programme of Action
Associate Professor Philip... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: ABC Radio Australia (Shortwave) / Pacific Beat
30367
Uganda
Illegal Gun Trade Threatens Uganda's Economy, Says Police Chief
19 June 2009
Uganda Pulse, Web page
The Inspector General of Police, Maj. Gen. Kale Kayihura has said the proliferation in small arms is the leading cause of economic collapse in most African countries.
Kayihura says access to small arms in African societies is one of the causes of civil unrest in Africa which in turns affects economic activities.
Maj. Gen. Kayihura says the political unrest in Somalia and DR Congo among other African countries is a result of proliferation of fire arms.
He says the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Uganda Pulse
30371
United Nations,United States
Eight US Senators Push Clinton to Support Global Gun Trade Treaty
19 June 2009
Export Industry News (USA)
A bipartisan group comprised of eight senators is urging Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to be a strong proponent of an international Arms Trade Treaty to regulate the interstate transfer of conventional weapons.
The second session of the United Nations' Open Ended Working Group (OEWG) on the Arms Trade Treaty is scheduled to convene at the United Nations July 13-17. The OEWG is tasked with creating international regulations on the export, import, and international... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Export Industry News (USA)
30306
Somalia,Ethiopia,Eritrea,Yemen,United Arab Emirates,Saudi Arabia,West Asia
Weapons for Warlords: Gun Running, Arms Trafficking in the Gulf of Aden
18 June 2009
Jamestown Foundation (USA) / Terrorism Monitor Volume 7, Issue 17, Web page
In the Hobbesian anarchy that has been the norm in Somalia since the late 1980s, the proliferation of weapons has been associated not only with the pursuit of political power but also with international terrorism and the protection and furtherance of economic objectives in the region. Somalia lies at the heart of regional arms trafficking networks that include governments and private traders in East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Developed over many years, this... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Jamestown Foundation (USA) / Terrorism Monitor Volume 7, Issue 17
30307
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