Gun Policy News
Small arms proliferation and international development
Kenya
Kenyan President Sets Fire to More Than 5 000 Illegal Guns
10 June 2021
Independent Online (IOL)
Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta on Wednesday set alight more than 5 000 illegal firearms in a gesture to highlight the importance of peaceful resolutions to conflict.
Kenyatta set fire to 5144 illegal firearms, in addition to out-of-date state-owned guns, at the Regional Traffic Police Training Centre located in Ngong, west of the capital Nairobi, State House Kenya reported.
"A peaceful Kenya, a united Kenya is for the good of all of us. And that can only be achieved... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent Online (IOL)
40525
United States
Education to Reduce Gun Incidents in US Instead of Regulation
16 November 2016
Dallas Morning News (Texas), Opinion
I have had the privilege of competing in shotgun clay target tournaments across America and Europe for the last 40 years. I'm routinely in the company of hundreds of people, all carrying firearms and ammunition. I've fired several hundred thousand rounds in practice and competition. In all that time and experience, I have never seen nor heard of anyone being injured in a firearm- or shooting-related incident.
National data reflects that there are rarely firearm-related... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Dallas Morning News (Texas)
40194
Ghana
Ghana Makes Case at UN Against Abuse of Illicit Guns
27 October 2016
Ghana Web
Ghana has told the United Nations that the proliferation and abuse of conventional weapons, particularly Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and their ammunition continue to undermine world peace and security as well as sustainable development.
It argued that the supplies of SALW to non-state actors in a volatile world which is experiencing significant fragility, organized crime and terrorism is not the route to take by those truly committed to sustainable peace and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Ghana Web
40071
Mexico
Mexico Seeks to Increase Penalty for Firearms Use and Carrying [ES]
29 September 2016
Noticiero Televisa
[Translated Summary: Mexico's secretary of public security, Hiram Aleida, has asked for an increased penalty for using and carrying firearms. In 2015, 628 criminals used a firearm to commit a crime and, due to the current legislation, they were freed in a short time, added the Secretary.]
Durante su comparecencia en la Asamblea Legislativa de la Ciudad de México, el secretario de Seguridad Pública, Hiram Almeida solicitó aumentar la penalidad para el uso y la... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Noticiero Televisa
39948
Caribbean,American Samoa,Niue,Palau,Northern Mariana Islands,Nauru,Cook Islands,Fiji,Micronesia,French Polynesia,Marshall Islands,Kiribati,Papua New Guinea,Samoa,Solomon Islands,Tonga,Tuvalu,Vanuatu,New Caledonia
Addressing Gun Violence in the Caribbean and the Pacific
15 July 2016
The Diplomat (Japan)
"The seas bring us together, they do not separate us."
–Constitution of the Federated States of Micronesia
The Caribbean and the Pacific each offer a unique and contrasting perspective toward addressing armed violence. Despite sharing similar challenges as Small Island Developing States (SIDS), each region faces very different circumstances on the ground. In light of this, each region has taken a different approach toward addressing armed violence. The Pacific stands... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: The Diplomat (Japan)
39576
France
France Must Meet Obligations Under Arms Trade Treaty [FR]
24 June 2016
Armer Desarmer (France), Blog
[Translated summary: Countries involved in conflict and where crimes against humanity are committed, currently receive guns originating in France. Under the Arms Trade Treaty, if one country member estimates that the firearms could be used to commit a serious violation of International Humanitarian Law, the exportation will not be authorized.]
Depuis le 24 décembre 2014, la France est engagée juridiquement dans l'application du traité sur le commerce des armes (TCA)... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Armer Desarmer (France)
39512
Angola
100,000 Firearms Recovered in Angola Civilian Disarmament [FR]
17 April 2016
Agência Angola Press
[Translated summary: The coordinator of an on-going disarmament programme in the province of Cuanza Sul, Angola, claimed that this government strategy contributes to the consolidation of peace and development. Since the beginning of the programme, more than 100,000 firearms have been recovered.]
Sumbe - Le coordinateur de la Sous-commission Technique Nationale pour le Désarmement de la Population Civile, le commissaire chef Paulo de Almeida, a considéré comme très... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Agência Angola Press
39135
Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania
Gun Policy News is Back
13 March 2016
GunPolicy.org
With apologies for being absent so long, Gun Policy News bulletins are back. At least for now.
Beginning in 1997, our dozens of regional E-mail and RSS news feeds delivered daily bulletins of small arms-related mass media articles up to June, 2014. From today we'll try to do so again, at least until the end of 2016.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: GunPolicy.org
38931
Israel,United States
Neither Side Wants an Israeli Second Amendment
18 February 2016
Jerusalem Post
Gun control isn't usually a major political issue here, but it has come up in a big way in recent months, after several terrorists in the current wave of terrorism were subdued by civilians.
The debate on gun control came to a head in Monday's inaugural meeting of the Knesset Caucus on Firearms Policy - perhaps the closet Israel has ever gotten to a US-style "gun lobby" - but even those in favor of easing regulations have made it clear that they're not gunning for... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Jerusalem Post
38919
Australia,United States
Ted Cruz Australia Gun Law, Violence Claims Rubbished
25 January 2016
Washington Post
"And as you know, Hugh, after Australia did that [gun buyback program], the rate of sexual assaults, the rate of rapes, went up significantly, because women were unable to defend themselves." - Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), interview on "Hugh Hewitt Show," Jan. 12, 2016
We've heard politicians make all sorts of conclusions about the 1996 gun buyback program in Australia: that it worked, that it didn't work, that it brought crime rates down, that it made no difference on... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Washington Post
38975
Colombia,Brazil,Honduras,El Salvador,Venezuela,United States,Belize
Latin America Leads World on Murder Map
6 May 2015
Guardian (Latin America)
Latin America may be the most murderous continent on Earth, but huge improvements in public safety have been achieved in several major cities, according to a new homicide map of the world that is being launched this week.
Several metropolises that were once bywords for violent death – such as Medellín, Bogotá, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro - have seen murder rate declines of more than 60% over the past two decades thanks to improved living standards, better... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (Latin America)
38854
Australia,United States
Increase in Gun Licences in NSW
2 April 2015
Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
Firearms squad boss Mick Plotecki has blamed a surprise increase in gun licences in NSW on the influence of popular American gun culture.
There are now 215,462 gun licence holders in the state, an increase of over 37,000 in the past five years from 177,675.
Detective Superintendent Plotecki said yesterday the American culture was one of the reasons with number of Australians influenced by the US belief in a right to bear arms and the prevalence of guns in movies and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
38893
Australia
Does Rural Australia Have a Gun Problem?
27 October 2014
The Conversation, Opinion
The recent multiple homicide in a small Victorian township, coming barely a month after a mass shooting in rural New South Wales, may give the impression that firearm-related murders in rural Australia are rampant.
It would be easy to attribute this to higher density of gun ownership in country areas relative to cities, particularly where farming is a dominant industry and firearms are "tools of the trade". But understanding gun violence is not that simple.
Firearm... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: The Conversation
38824
Papua New Guinea
The Costs of Crime and Violence in Papua New Guinea
15 August 2014
World Bank News
Reports in both the national and international media and anecdotal evidence indicate that the prevalence of crime and violence is high in Papua New Guinea (PNG). It has become an important obstacle to long-term development. At the request of the Government of PNG, the World Bank conducted a study to better understand the social and economic costs of crime and violence to households, business, government and civil society, and to inform policy directions in managing... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: World Bank News
39236
Slovenia,Malta,El Salvador,Denmark,Croatia,Hungary,Finland,Estonia,France,Spain,Italy,Bulgaria,United Kingdom,Germany,Slovakia,Ireland,Latvia,Romania
Methodists Welcome 18 Countries Ratifying Arms Trade Treaty Including UK
3 April 2014
Christian Today
The Methodist Church has praised the government's ratification of the UN's Arms Trade Treaty.
The President of the Methodist Conference, the Reverend Ruth Gee, hailed it as a "legal milestone that should help to protect those who are abused and oppressed".
Countries that ratify the treaty will be required to establish national arms regulators to control the exporting of conventional weapons and weapons components, and to properly regulate arms brokers. Domestic weapon... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Christian Today
38541
Ireland
Authorisation to Carry Guns Full-Time in Uniformed Irish's Gardai
1 January 2014
Independent (Dublin)
This is the first time that uniformed gardai have been given permission to carry guns full-time since the foundation of the force almost a century ago. The move has been sanctioned after a review of the operation of the five regional support units (RSUs) since their introduction in 2008.
Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan has ordered that all the regional response units will be permanently armed after a rise in the number of incidents requiring garda firepower.
The... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Independent (Dublin)
38890
Bahamas
Crime, Deadly Violence in Bahamas at Near 'Epidemic' Levels
11 December 2013
Tribune (Bahamas)
The current level of deadly violence means the Bahamas almost qualifies as an armed conflict zone, a new report reveals.
Measured per 100,000 inhabitants, the murder rate over the last several years was about three times the level constituting an epidemic, roughly equivalent to a conflict zone, and continues to be one of the highest in the region.
The statistics, included in the Inter-American Development Bank country strategy for the Bahamas, also reveal that in... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tribune (Bahamas)
38175
Asia,Americas,Europe,Africa
Defence Spending Rising in MENA and South Asian Countries
9 November 2013
Today's Zaman (Istanbul), Blog
Last week I wrote about the deficient literacy rates in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and South Asian regions. Those statistics should be viewed in light of this article, which examines military expenditures in these regions. In making the comparisons, one can see that the governments in the regions are primarily focused on military expenditures over education and literacy, or even basic human security needs.
The MENA and South Asian regions are plagued by... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Today's Zaman (Istanbul)
38065
West Africa,Nigeria
Nigeria Establishes Committee to Tackle Illegal Firearms Threat
29 October 2013
This Day (Lagos)
The President sets up a committee aimed at stemming the influx of illicit weapons which could undermine the security of the nation. A few weeks ago, President Goodluck Jonathan approved the establishment of a committee to stem the spread of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) most often used in creating insecurity and instability in Nigeria and other developing nations. Headed by Ambassador Emmanuel Imohe, other members of the committee include Ambassadors Martin I.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: This Day (Lagos)
38026
Solomon Islands
Authorisation to Carry Guns in Solomon Island's Police Force
25 October 2013
ABC News (Australia)
Planning has begun in Solomon Islands for parts of the local police force to again be issued with guns. It's a major shift in policy, 10 years after a gun amnesty was introduced as part of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands.
RAMSI's Participating Police Force Commander Paul Osborne says only three sections of the force will carry the weapons.
"That'll be airport policing," he told Pacific Beat.
"The close personal protection (unit to protect) visiting... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: ABC News (Australia)
38891
Russia,Trinidad & Tobago,Caribbean,Nicaragua,United States,Canada,Guinea-Bissau,Libya,Mexico,Colombia
Small Arms: The Worldwide Scourge
8 September 2013
Newsday (Trinidad & Tobago)
Trinidad and Tobago is awash with guns. Gang leaders, bandits, drug smugglers are armed and shooting at each other, at citizens, at the police without hesitation. The majority of the weapons are small arms and they are usually "imported" with illegal drugs or there is an exchange of drugs for arms. Drug cartels use their illicit profits to purchase these guns, the two trades being intertwined, according to the latest report from the United Nations Office for Disarmament... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Newsday (Trinidad & Tobago)
37845
Jamaica
Opinion: Jamaica Police Commissioner Right to Target Guns, Gangs
9 June 2013
Gleaner (Jamaica), Opinion
"Security must be the first law of the [State]; otherwise, the other laws will not operate effectively." Though not original to him, these are wise words coming through Commissioner of Police Owen Ellington, MA.
Commissioner Ellington must be warmly commended for his contribution to the Sunday Observer last week, 'Dealing effectively with guns and drugs for improved public safety'. Public servants, cowering behind laws protecting state secrets and the tradition of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Gleaner (Jamaica)
37544
Oceania,Europe,Africa,Asia,Americas
Conflicts of Interest Plague Arms Trade Treaty Talks
22 March 2013
Inter Press Service News Agency
The U.N. organ tasked with maintaining international peace and security harbours a serious conflict at its core.
The Security Council's five permanent members (P5) – United States, Russia, China, the United Kingdom and France – along with Germany, are the world's six leading arms exporters, often shipping weapons used to perpetuate violence across the globe.
Meanwhile, over 150 member states have gathered at U.N. headquarters, from Mar. 18-28, to negotiate an Arms... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
37223
Philippines,South East Asia,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Arms Trade Treaty or What? - Opinion
21 March 2013
Philippine Star, Opinion
In the next week or so, the members of the United Nations have an opportunity to agree an historic Treaty that would make a lasting difference to people across the world. It's not front-page news most of the time, but the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) is within our grasp — and, with it, comes a chance to make a major contribution to the security of humankind. It will help to ensure that the uncontrolled movement of arms no longer threatens the security and prosperity of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Philippine Star
37209
Caribbean
Caribbean Community Countries to Press for Greater Arms Trade Regulation
20 March 2013
Caribbean 360
GEORGETOWN, Guyana – Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries will be pressing for a successful conclusion to the final negotiation session of the United Nations Diplomatic Conference on an Arms Trade Treaty which began at the United Nations on Monday, according to a statement issued by the CARICOM Secretariat.
It said such an outcome to the 10-day conference is of vital importance to CARICOM, noting that at the CARICOM Inter-Sessional summit in Haiti last month,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Caribbean 360
37210
Germany,United Kingdom,France,Mexico,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa,China,Russia,United States
Armed Violence Kills 66,000 Women and Girls Each Year
20 March 2013
New Zealand Herald, Associated Press
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon has urged the world's nations to agree on a strong UN treaty to regulate the multibillion-dollar global arms trade in the next two weeks, saying it will save lives and make it more difficult for warlords, organised criminals and terrorists to obtain weapons.
Hopes of reaching agreement on what would be a landmark treaty were dashed last July when the United States said it needed more time to consider the proposed accord - a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Zealand Herald, Associated Press
37202
Zimbabwe,Pakistan,Colombia,United States,Brazil
Brazil Should Continue Responsible Gun Control, Reduce Deaths Further
25 December 2012
Rio Times, Opinion
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – Last week's slaughter of twenty elementary school children in the United States has tragic echoes with the massacre in Realengo, Rio de Janeiro earlier this year. At 8:30 AM on April 7th, Wellington Oliveira calmly walked into a classroom with two .38 and .32 caliber handguns, and shot twelve children dead.
At least sixty shots were fired and twenty boys and girls were critically wounded. It was the worst school massacre in Brazilian history.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Rio Times
36868
East Africa,Tanzania
Call for Illegal Arms to be Impounded in Tanzania
6 December 2012
Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salam), Opinion
Recent State campaign against illegal ownership of small firearms succeeded in impounding 304 guns. It is kudos for the Police Force.
The number of firearms found during the brief campaign must have shocked the nation. The find pointed to the stark reality that too many arms were in dangerous hands. In fact, armed banditry has escalated to alarming proportions in the last few months.
It is this nettling situation that has prompted the government to issue an ultimatum... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Tanzania Daily News (Dar es Salam)
36799
Costa Rica,Mexico,Honduras,Guatemala,Colombia,Brazil,El Salvador
Study Shows South America Gun Deaths More Likely in Cities [ES]
5 December 2012
Prensa Libre (Guatemala) / EFE News Agency
[Translated summary: A new study found that over 60 percent of gun homicides in Costa Rica, Guatemala and El Salvador occur in large cities. ]
GINEBRA - El informe titulado "Violencia urbana armada" señala que las capitales de los países concentran buen parte de la violencia, por ejemplo la Ciudad de Guatemala o Managua, que contabilizan un 42 por ciento del total de los homicidios armados a nivel nacional.
El estudio, basado en cifras oficiales, revela también las... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Prensa Libre (Guatemala) / EFE News Agency
36801
South Sudan
South Sudan Passes New Law on Guns, Bans Possession Without Licence
15 November 2012
Sudan Tribune (France)
BOR — Lawmakers in South Sudan's eastern state of Jonglei, the scene of a localised rebellion and controversial disarmament campaign, have passed a bill making it illegal for civilians to carry guns or ammunition without a licence.
The Social Firearms and Ammunitions Control Bill, passed in the state parliament's last session before the long Christmas recess, is in response to ongoing insecurity in the state.
It is almost a year since cattle raiding and reprisal... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
36748
Bangladesh,Myanmar
Homemade Guns Involved in Myanmar Conflict, Thousands Displaced
1 November 2012
Nation (Pakistan)
YANGON/DHAKA - Communal bloodshed in western Myanmar risks developing into "armed terrorist acts", the government said Wednesday, after homemade firearms were used in the latest deadly fighting.
The government said 180 guns were seized during the new wave of conflict between Buddhists and Muslims in Rakhine state, which has killed dozens and seen whole neighbourhoods razed. It said several people had been arrested on suspicion of making the weapons.
"The clashes... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Nation (Pakistan)
36704
Maldives
Lack of Guns Saves Lives says Maldives Gang Leader
22 October 2012
Guardian (UK)
Ibrahim sits in a dark corner of a cafe, talking about his gang, the stabbings and the money he makes from selling heroin. Outside, locals splash through the narrow lanes of the congested capital of the Maldives under a heavy monsoon shower. "It's been a good few months. We've been doing well," he says, lighting another cigarette. Recently Ibrahim's gang has been busy with a new sideline: providing political parties with muscle to intimidate opponents, swell meetings... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Guardian (UK)
36667
Croatia,European Union,Europe
30,000 Guns Destroyed in Croatia in Battle Against Illegal Trafficking
19 October 2012
SEESAC (Belgrade)
On 19 October 2012, less than two years after the Croatian President Ivo Josipovic symbolically destroyed the first rifle marked for destruction, the last of 30,000 small arms and light weapons were disposed of, as a part of the EU supported SEESAC Arms Control Activities in the Western Balkans. The final, public destruction took place in Varazdin and was attended by Evelin Tonkovic - Deputy Minister of Interior (MoI) of the Republic of Croatia, Louisa Vinton - the UN... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: SEESAC (Belgrade)
36664
India
Local India Elections Threatened by Series of Candidate Homicides
18 October 2012
New York Times
NOWPORA JAGIR, India — On the day he was killed, Mohammad Shafiq Teli was working on a new sewage drain, precisely the sort of unglamorous, if essential, project that village governance is supposed to provide. Except that, for more than three decades, there had been no local governments here in the villages of Kashmir, India's tinderbox.
Last year, despite a threat of violence, rural Kashmiris turned out in huge numbers to elect village councils, known as gram... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
36730
Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea Finds Success with Restorative Justice After War
28 September 2012
Science Magazine
Papua New Guinea has a fearsome reputation for violent conflict. Between 1991 and 2010, about 500 clan wars killed about 1% of the Enga, the nation's largest linguistic group. But on page 1651 of this issue, researchers document an astonishing turn toward peace among the Enga. Starting around 2005, the people began to rely on compensation in village courts to resolve offenses that once might have triggered war, and by 2011, few Enga waged war. "Now people don't want... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Science Magazine
36616
Africa
4,773 Firearms Symbolically Destroyed in Sierra Leone
25 September 2012
Awoko (Sierra Leone)
The national secretariat of Sierra Leone National Commission on Small Arms (SLeNCSA) have symbolically burned Four Thousand Seven hundred and Seventy three (4,773) Firearms that was collected by the UNDP Supported Arms for Development project which marked the climax of a process that started some 8 years ago. The ceremony took place at the Makeni Mena police field and drew the attention of all paramount chiefs in the North, government officials, military personnel, the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Awoko (Sierra Leone)
36591
Melanesia,Papua New Guinea,Australia,Solomon Islands,New Caledonia,Oceania
Concern in Papua New Guinea Over Gun-Related Crime, Trafficking
3 September 2012
Inter Press Service News Agency
BRISBANE - In Papua New Guinea, the largest island nation in Melanesia in the southwest Pacific, where more than 60 percent of major crimes involve guns, a burgeoning illegal arms trade is associated with lack of employment growth and low human security, with vulnerable communities suffering the consequences.
This is the case in the autonomous region of Bougainville in the east of the country, where disarmament remains elusive more than ten years after a civil war... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
36525
United States,Caribbean
Former Caribbean Diplomat Calls for Continued Arms Treaty Support
3 August 2012
Caribbean 360, Opinion
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados - Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries joined dozens of other nations in fighting for a robust and comprehensive Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) during negotiations at the United Nations headquarters in New York from 2 to 27 July, but their efforts were frustrated by President Barack Obama's re-election campaign team.
The Caribbean countries have very good reason for wanting a strong ATT. In recent years, these countries have become the hapless victims... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Caribbean 360
36428
Madagascar
Armed Rustling Gangs in Madagascar Pose Threat to Development
18 July 2012
IRIN (UN News)
ANALYSIS
"At 9am I checked them [the zebu] and they were still there, and two hours later they were gone," he told IRIN. "I need them to do the work in the field, to pull the cart and to produce fertilizer. These animals are important."
Razafindranoivo and community volunteers tracked the cattle rustlers for three days before giving up the chase. They say the theft of livestock and food have ticked up since 2009 - after Andry Rajoelina seized power with the backing... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
36349
Libya,Syria
The Increasing Cost of Black Market Guns in Syria
17 July 2012
New York Times, Blog
ISLAHIYE, Turkey — Abu Hamed, a former Syrian Army captain who is now a guerrilla commander fighting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, sat cross-legged in a tent in a refugee camp this week, echoing one of the Syrian opposition's most common complaints. "We need weapons," he said. "All kinds of weapons."
And then, as the conversation deepened and tea flowed, he spoke of prices. Mr. Hamed leads a battalion near Aleppo. The demand for weapons on his turf is so... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New York Times
36346
Caribbean,Trinidad & Tobago
Trinidad & Tobago Backs Arms Trade Treaty
6 July 2012
Bernama (Malaysia) / Prensa Latina (Havana)
UNITED NATIONS - Trinidad and Tobago Thursday stressed the need to achieve an Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) that is comprehensive and mandatory.
The Foreign Minister of Trinidad and Tobagos, Winston Dookeran, addressed the high level segment of the Conference of the United Nations (UN) on the subject, which will be held until next July 27 at the headquarters of the international organisation.
Dookeran referred to the negative impact of illegal trade in arms and ammunition... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Bernama (Malaysia) / Prensa Latina (Havana)
36304
Israel,Taiwan,United States,Sweden,Germany,France,United Kingdom,Oceania,Europe,Asia,Americas,Africa
Talks Begin at UN on Global, Legally Binding Arms, Ammo Trade Treaty
4 July 2012
Associated Press
UNITED NATIONS — The world's nations began a final push Tuesday for the first legally binding global treaty that would regulate the international arms trade and try to prevent the transfer of weapons to armed groups and terrorists.
The 193-member U.N. General Assembly is expected to approve the treaty, which has been in the works since 2006, when the U.S. voted against the resolution that launched the process. The Obama administration later reversed the George W.... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
36301
Kenya,Somalia,Ethiopia,Uganda,South Sudan
Rising Tide of Small Arms in Kenya
3 July 2012
IRIN (UN News)
DADAAB/ISIOLO — A spate of "terror" attacks, aid worker kidnappings and heightened ethnic conflict in northern Kenya have fuelled demand for small arms by civilians and criminals, say security officials.
On 2 July, four foreign aid workers - all employees of NGO Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) - were rescued inside Somalia and returned to Kenya after being kidnapped in eastern Kenya's Dadaab refugee settlement; their driver was killed during the kidnap. In October... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
36298
Syria,Russia,Africa,China,India,Pakistan,European Union,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,Congo (DRC),Sudan,Chad,Colombia
NGOs Set Minimum Specifications for Arms Trade Treaty [FR]
27 June 2012
Le Monde (France), Opinion
[Translated summary: Associations, NGOs and hundreds of members of the global coalition "Control Arms" have set minimum specifications for the future Arms Trade Treaty. It will have to control all types of conventional arms and ammunition used by military as well as by law enforcement, since they can be used for serious human rights violations. ATT will include exports but also imports, transit and all types of transfers and all actors, such as arms brokers, like Viktor... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Le Monde (France)
36280
East Africa,Africa,Kenya
Oxfam Commend Africa's Efforts to Check Flow of Illegal Small Arms
20 June 2012
Coast Week (Kenya) / Xinhua
KAPENGURIA - British charity Oxfam has lauded Kenya and some other African countries for pushing for regulation of small arms after disability was blamed in the region.
The organization's Arms Control Officer Anna MacDonald said on Tuesday the proliferation of small arms to Africa is threatening security and poverty alleviation and sabotaging economic development.
"The unchecked flow of light weapons into Africa is of great concern and have not only ruined lives but... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Coast Week (Kenya) / Xinhua
36267
United States,United Kingdom,Russia,Germany,France,China,Africa
The 'Big Six' Arms Exporters - Amnesty International
11 June 2012
Amnesty International (London)
DOCUMENT
1. China
There are few official statistics on the Chinese arms trade but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute estimates that accounts for around 3 per cent of the global trade in conventional arms.
Countries supplied
Recipient countries over the past decade have tended to be developing countries with poor human rights records including Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, DRC, Guinea, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Libya, Myanmar,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Amnesty International (London)
36235
Libya,Iraq,Eastern Europe,West Asia,North Africa
International Forum in Erbil, Kurdistan Addresses Spread of Small Arms
30 May 2012
Rudaw (Kurdistan)
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—More than twenty parliamentarians from North Africa, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe took part in a conference in Erbil on Sunday about the social and political effects of small arms, and ways to combat its proliferation.
The conference, officially titled the "Parliamentary Seminar on Controlling Proliferation of Small Arms and Light Weapons," was organized by the Swedish global network the Parliamentary Forum on Small Arms and Light... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Rudaw (Kurdistan)
36193
Congo (DRC),Central African Republic,Niger,Côte d'Ivoire,Mali,Congo (ROC)
Towards the Support of Congo in the Fight against Small Arms [FR]
25 May 2012
Afriquinfos / Xinhua
[Translated summary: The representative of the Regional Center on Small Arms (RCSA), Marie Claire Bisamaza, reiterated the will of the organisation to support the Republic of Congo in implementing a National Plan of Action aiming at protecting the territory against proliferation of small arms and light weapons.]
BRAZZAVILLE - La représentante du Regional Center on Small Arms (RCSA), Marie Claire Bisamaza, a traduit jeudi à Brazzaville, la volonté de son institution... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Afriquinfos / Xinhua
36172
Egypt,Africa,Congo (DRC),Central African Republic,Sudan,Chad,Libya
African States Vow to Curb Arms Flow with Global Gun Trade Treaty
24 May 2012
New Vision (Kampala) / AFP
Security officials from five African states have pledged to step up cooperation to control the flow of small arms after a UN-backed conference.
Ministers of interior and security from Libya, Chad, Sudan and Central African Republic, as well as a provincial governor from Democratic Republic of Congo, agreed to establish a joint body to counter the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
A declaration issued late Wednesday after their two-day conference said the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Vision (Kampala) / AFP
36170
Africa,Sudan
Control Strategies of Small Arms and Light Weapons in Africa - Analysis
22 May 2012
Sudan Vision Daily, Opinion
Introduction
Most of the definitions of small arms and light weapons agree that they are the personal arms used by an individual person of a less than one hundred millimeter caliber. The extensive proliferation of the illegal small arms and light weapons is considered among the greatest challenges facing most of the African states.
The threats of the small illegal arms are not only confined to the security aspect, rather they go beyond that to extended effects on the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Vision Daily
36158
Congo (DRC),Libya,Sudan,Central African Republic,Chad
Sudan, UN Coordinate to Combat Spread of Small Arms in the Region
22 May 2012
Sudan Vision Daily
KHARTOUM – The United Nations announced that it is coordinating with the Sudanese Government and the Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration Commission (DDRC) to combat use of small and light arms in the Sudan, to strengthen institutions at the national level to curb armed violence and reduce demand on arms.
Use of arms disrupts development and spreads chaos, UN resident Coordinator, Ali Al-Zaetri, said, adding that the economic loss caused by the use of these... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Vision Daily
36157
Tanzania
Proliferation of Small Arms Poses a Big Threat to Tanzania's Security
22 May 2012
Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
Regions that border neigbouring countries often face insecurity challenges. Kagera, Mwanza, Mara, Kigoma and Rukwa are especially prone to security threats because they border countries ravaged by armed conflicts.
Because of this instability in the Great Lakes countries, there is a proliferation of small arms which poses a big threat to Tanzania's security as crime-related activities rise. These include rampant armed robbery, cattle rustling, poaching, the influx of... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Citizen (Dar es Salaam)
36156
Indonesia
Uncontrolled Circulation of Guns in Indonesia Jeopardizes Development
22 May 2012
Jakarta Post
The media coverage of an Army officer who brandished his gun in a street quarrel with a motorcycle rider recently raised concerns about the inappropriate use of arms.
The circulation of small arms has clearly reached a point that puts development sustainability and security in many countries in the world at risk.
The uncontrolled circulation of arms has contributed much to the mounting tension, terrorism or any other security threats to a country, such as what has... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Jakarta Post
36149
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
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
Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,Somalia,United States,Russia,Egypt,Iran,Pakistan
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 [FR]
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
Southern Africa,South Africa,Swaziland,Angola,Congo (DRC),Mozambique,Namibia,Zimbabwe,Central America,South America,Caribbean,Central Africa,Europe,Asia,Africa,Americas,Oceania,Botswana,China,Czech Republic,Germany,Russia,United States,Philippines,Italy
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
Thailand,Malaysia,Indonesia,Kuwait,Qatar,Mexico,Peru,Venezuela,Colombia,Bolivia,Somalia,Nepal,Oman,Latvia,Mauritius,Guyana,Congo (DRC),Bosnia & Herzegovina,Saudi Arabia,Liberia,Kazakhstan,Singapore,Dominican Republic,Jordan,Trinidad & Tobago,United Arab Emirates,Guatemala,Honduras,Chile,Ecuador,Argentina,Zimbabwe,Zambia,Uganda,Tanzania,Senegal,Congo (ROC),Nigeria,Niger,Namibia,Morocco,Mauritania,Malawi,Côte d'Ivoire,Egypt,Burkina Faso,Brazil,Tunisia,Sri Lanka,Pakistan,Philippines,Yemen,United States,Italy,Germany,Israel,Austria,Russia,Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,South Africa,Algeria,Angola,Botswana,Ghana,Guinea,Madagascar
Brazilian Gun Industry Seeks New Markets: Africa and Asia [PT]
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
Cuba,Caribbean
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
Mexico,Pakistan,Venezuela,United States,El Salvador,Colombia,Australia,Norway,Canada,Israel,Honduras,Jamaica
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
Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,Eastern Europe,East Africa,Australia,India,Nigeria,Mozambique,Russia
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
Caribbean,Central America,South America,Honduras,United States,Mexico,El Salvador,Guatemala
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 [FR]
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
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 [ES]
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
United States,Russia,Europe,North Africa,West Asia,Bahrain,Egypt,Libya,Syria,Yemen,Austria,Belgium,Bulgaria,Czech Republic,France,Germany,Italy,United Kingdom,Spain,India
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 [FR]
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 [FR]
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
Caribbean,Bahamas,Jamaica,St Kitts & Nevis,Trinidad & Tobago,Antigua & Barbuda,Barbados,St Lucia,North America,Europe
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
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
Caribbean,Central America,South America,Africa,Asia,Europe,Oceania,Central Africa,Southern Africa
Men Most Affected by Homicide, 40-60% Involve Guns, Says UN [FR]
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' [Fr]
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
Kenya,Ethiopia,Uganda,Sudan,Somalia,East Africa
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 order... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press of Pakistan
35291
Burundi,Rwanda,Congo (DRC),East Africa,Djibouti,Ethiopia,Eritrea,Kenya,Seychelles,Somalia,Sudan,Tanzania
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
Burundi,Africa,Americas,Asia,Europe,Oceania,Belgium,European Union,United States,Russia
Development, Security Require a World Without Small Arms [Fr]
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 to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Ghana News Agency
35174
Nigeria,Africa
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
Philippines,Norway
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 [Fr]
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
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
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
St Kitts & Nevis,Caribbean,Central America,South America
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
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
Peru,Chile
Chile Denies Arms Build Up as Peru Questions Purchases, Post-Quake
23 June 2010
United Press International
LIMA - Continued Chilean arms purchases put fresh strains on ties with Peru amid signs the quake-hit country would go ahead with military regeneration plans that seemed in jeopardy when an 8.8 magnitude temblor devastated large parts of its infrastructure.
Chilean President Sebastian Pinera also faced criticism that his handling of Peru in recent diplomatic contacts lacked a delicate touch and could undermine ties amid a tense series of talks on what Peru denounced as... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Press International
36607
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
Senegal,West Africa,Gambia,Guinea,Guinea-Bissau
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
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
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,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
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
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
Nepal
Gun Crime, Trafficking, Armed Domestic Violence on the Rise in Nepal
14 June 2009
Republica (Kathmandu)
KATHMANDU — Conflict analysts studying impacts of small arms on Nepal's peace process have concluded that Nepal is seriously suffering from proliferation of small arms. It is estimated that there are around 55,000 small arms across the country at present.
At a program jointly organized by International Action Network on Small Arms, SAPA-Nepal and IHRICON on the occasion of Week of Action Against Gun Violence in the capital on Sunday, conflict experts said... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Republica (Kathmandu)
30290
Central African Republic
Under the Gun - Violence and Displacement in Central African Republic
28 May 2009
IRIN (UN News)
NAIROBI — The Central African Republic (CAR) has been in the throes of a humanitarian crisis for more than a decade. Army mutinies, coups and attempted coups, rebellions, gangs that kidnap for ransom and, more recently, elements of Uganda's notorious Lord's Resistance Army have made life for civilians, especially in the north, extremely challenging, unpredictable, and very dangerous.
As IRIN's new documentary film, Under the Gun, demonstrates, many Central Africans... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
30240
Sierra Leone
Gun Smuggling, Home-made Firearms Worry Sierra Leone Police, NGOs
28 May 2009
Awoko (Freetown)
The Assistant Inspector General of Police Eastern Region Al-Shek Kamara has disclosed that the rate at which light weapon and small arms are entering through the porous borders of the country is very alarming.
He also stated that most of these weapons are found within the Gola Forest chiefdoms in the region. The AIG east made this disclosure while addressing Traditional rulers, civil society and other stakeholders in the eastern region during a one day consultative... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Awoko (Freetown)
30146
Sudan
Civilian Disarmament Campaign Launched to Control Guns in Sudan
27 May 2009
Voice of America
NAIROBI — The government of Southern Sudan is planning an ambitious campaign to disarm hundreds of civilians in the semi-autonomous region. Tribal clashes in parts of southern Sudan have killed as many as 1,000 people this year, a development that could threaten the fragile peace with the north.
Southern Sudan has long suffered from clashes between tribal groups over cattle and land. But according to the president of the semi-autonomous Government of Southern Sudan,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Voice of America
30154
Sudan
To Redevelop Sudan, Buy Back Guns from Ex-Combatants and Civilians
24 May 2009
New Sudan Vision, Opinion
Sudan as a whole is and will continue to be in oddities from the post-conflict spilt over small arms and their misuse for quite sometime. If we, however, inject some science in this scenario in order to define and justify this eccentricity, it would be logical to see the inter-tribal small arms' conflict as after-shock from the aftermath of the twenty one years of a brutal war with each other. These definitions and many others will help us find the solutions to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Sudan Vision
30138
Guinea-Bissau,West Africa
West African States, Guinea-Bissau Work to Curb Gun Trafficking, Misuse
22 May 2009
IRIN (UN News)
BISSAU — The government of Guinea-Bissau must work on several fronts to cut the number of light weapons in the country — estimated at some 650,000. Regional instability, crime and weak governance toughen the battle, observers say.
Widespread possession of weapons among civilians is fallout from years of war, according to Antonio Mazzittelli, head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in West Africa. "The availability of light weapons is left over from the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
30117
Congo (DRC)
Guns Empower Rapists, Drive HIV/Aids, Rob Congo Families of Future
5 March 2009
Daily Nation (Nairobi), Opinion
The horror of sexual violence that has blighted the lives of women and girls in DR Congo is nowhere more apparent than at Panzi Hospital, in Bukavu. The first thing that strikes you is the long queue of women.
In some parts of East Congo, three out of four women have been raped during the 14 years of conflict.
Panzi is East Congo's leading referral hospital for rape survivors, who constitute over two thirds of its patients.
Doctors there began vaginal... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Nation (Nairobi)
29588
Somalia
Somalia a Land of Chaos, Awash in Smuggled Assault Rifles, Machine Guns
1 March 2009
Toronto Star (Ontario)
So much blood has drenched the red dust of Somalia that it forms a dry river of death beneath the feet of the latest killers and victims.
Last week, another 80 people died in battles between African Union peacekeepers and Islamist rebels, as terrified civilians fled the capital Mogadishu and the town of Hudur to the south.
During the Islamists' two-year struggle to dislodge a teetering transitional government, some 16,000 people have been killed, a million others... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Toronto Star (Ontario)
29312
Solomon Islands
Total Gun Ban, Weapon Destruction Brings Peace to Troubled Pacific Nation
23 February 2009
BBC News
HONIARA, Solomon Islands — A parliamentary panel in the Solomon Islands, in the South Pacific, is debating the future of an Australian-led peacekeeping force. The UN has praised it as a model of regional intervention — but is its work now done?
The Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI) is not one of the world's best-known peacekeeping forces.
But the story of how peace has been built here, in this former British protectorate, is largely a story... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
29290
Russia,Africa,China
Russia's 'Illegal' Gun Sales Arm Smugglers, Gangs - Accra Think Tank
29 January 2009
Inter Press Service News Agency
MOSCOW — Russia's state arms exporter, Rosoboronexport, plans to grow the volume of Russian armament and military equipment to Africa over the next four to five years. This comes on top of allegations that Russia is selling arms to smuggling and contraband rings, thereby contributing to conflict on the war-torn continent.
"We have revived our contacts with all African countries that used to be traditional buyers of Soviet weaponry," Rosoboronexport general director... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Inter Press Service News Agency
29104
Liberia
To Aid Development, Liberia Police Plan to Locate, Collect Illicit Guns
3 January 2009
Liberia Broadcasting System
The National Chairman of the Community Policing Forum of Liberia, Nyenati Kaffay says, the Forum has embarked on the exposure and collection of small arms in the communities.
Mr. Kaffay said the project is being supported by UNDP to buttress the effort of the Liberian Police.
Speaking Friday in an interview in Paynesville, Mr. Kaffay noted that the exposure of arms in the various communities is crucial to the development of Liberia.
The head of the Community Policing... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Liberia Broadcasting System
28981
Africa
Decades of Progress Reversed by Millions of AK-47s Dumped in Africa
20 December 2008
Strategy Page (USA), Web Page
Angola, whose long civil war ended six years ago, is trying to curb decades of violence by collecting and destroying weapons, especially the cheap AK-47s that have flooded the region in the last two decades. So far this year, the government has collected over 50,000 illegal weapons, many of them AK-47s. These are publicly destroyed, several thousand at a time, and reduced to scrap metal.
The AK-47 has become as much of a curse for Africa as many major diseases. Not... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Strategy Page (USA)
28867
Kenya,Uganda,Sudan
AK-47s Cross Borders Freely in Warlords' Gun Markets of North Rift Valley
10 December 2008
Standard (Nairobi)
Ethokon Lumana Engolon was relaxed and enjoying herding his cattle and goats 500 meters away from his Manyatta in Kalimorock, Turkana South District, when his life was transformed.
The day had began well and his mind occasionally wandered as he took pride of how his stock had doubled and fattened.
He was excited that with the onset of short rains and maturing of new pasture, the long trek in search of water and pasture would temporarily be forgotten.
Excruciating... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Standard (Nairobi)
28790
Uganda
Uganda Claims to Have Disarmed 80% of Karimojong Pastoralists
30 October 2008
New Vision (Kampala)
KAMPALA — The government has disarmed 80% of the warriors in Karamoja sub-region, a senior security official has said.
Olandason Wanyama reports that speaking at the closure of a two-day National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADS) review workshop recently, the regional internal security officer, Emmy Twagira, said the region was now more peaceful.
"Compared to what people used to read and hear about Karamoja, the situation is not bad today," he said, adding that... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Vision (Kampala)
28567
Kenya,Africa
Proliferation of Guns in Rift Valley Threatens Development in East Africa
29 October 2008
Indiana University Press, Book review
The small arms threat to peace, security, and sustainable development.
"A path-breaking examination of a highly important and hitherto largely neglected topic." — Mark Leopold, University of Sussex.
"A systematic overview of the effect of small arms on pastoralism and governance in Karamoja and Samburu/Laikipia/Turkana." — Philip Winter, Rift Valley Institute
Recent estimates indicate that more than 640 million small arms and 16 billion rounds of ammunition... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Indiana University Press
28544
Papua New Guinea
Illegal Guns, Armed Violence Still 'A Major Problem' for Bougainville
20 October 2008
Post-Courier (Port Moresby)
The presence of weapons throughout the Autonomous Region of Bougainville is a major problem for the Autonomous Government.
Ministers Joseph Watawi (Trade and Industry, Tourism, Customs, Quarantine, Port Services Micro Finance), Ezekiel Massatt (Police, Public Service, Planning) and Glynne Tovirika (Veteran Affairs) and Gerard Sinato (Health) attended a reconciliation ceremony at Sanakova village in the Selau/Suir District of North Bougainville.
The same sentiment was... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Post-Courier (Port Moresby)
28498
United States,United Nations
America Leads World in Multi-Billion Economic Cost of Gun Crime Death
11 September 2008
Associated Press
GENEVA, Switzerland — The United States leads the world in economic loss from deaths caused by armed crime, according to a global survey to be released Friday.
The United States registered an estimated loss of up to $45.1 billion in terms of economic productivity because of violent crimes, said the report by the United Nations Development Program and the Geneva-based Small Arms Survey.
At least 490,000 people are killed in armed crimes each year worldwide, placing a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press
28189
Africa,United Nations
UN Arms Trade Treaty Conference Seeks to Regulate Global Gunrunning
3 September 2008
Voice of America
NAIROBI — Ministers and civil society leaders from 18 African countries, U.N. disarmament officials, and arms-control advocates are meeting in the Kenyan capital Nairobi to try to form a united position on a proposed treaty to regulate the global arms trade. As VOA Correspondent Alisha Ryu reports from Nairobi, the arms treaty is viewed as a critical element in international efforts to reduce the human and economic cost of conflicts, especially in Africa.
Speaking... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Voice of America
28121
Kenya,West Africa
Kenya Calls Influx of Illegal Guns 'Main Cause of Instability' in West Africa
3 September 2008
Xinhua
NAIROBI — Kenya said on Wednesday the proliferation of small arms and light weapons were the main cause of instability in the region.
Speaking at a meeting which brought together African ministers, UN disarmament officials and arms control groups in Nairobi, Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula blamed the influx of uncontrolled trade of arms in Africa to European and Asian countries.
Wetangula said Asian and European nations were taking advantage of the lack of a strong... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
28118
Kenya,Africa,United Nations
African Nations, UN Meet in Kenya to Canvass Global Gun Trade Treaty
3 September 2008
BBC News
African ministers are due to meet UN disarmament officials and arms control groups to help form a united position on a conventional arms trade treaty.
The talks in Nairobi have been called by the Kenyan government.
Arms control groups argue that Africa has lost billions of dollars in conflicts fuelled by unregulated weapons sales.
They also say that a proposed treaty could significantly reduce the human and economic cost.
Workable agreement
According to one... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: BBC News
28111
Uganda
Illegal Guns Key to Karamoja Insecurity, Disarmament Falters in Uganda
31 August 2008
New Vision (Kampala)
KAMPALA — The availability of firearms in Karamoja, a region in north eastern Uganda has exacerbated insecurity and more people are being killed in ambushes and livestock raids.
Despite the Government's efforts to disarm the Karimojong, recent reports indicate that the region has more firearms than anticipated. The Government has so far recovered 25,000 guns but a recent report by Small Arms Survey; a regional body that researches on armed pastoral areas, indicates... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: New Vision (Kampala)
28106
Afghanistan
Guns Threaten Development, Gender Equity, Security in Afghanistan
25 July 2008
IRIN (UN News), Web Page
The worsening security situation in Afghanistan is reducing the ability of humanitarian agencies to deliver life-saving assistance to vulnerable communities, according to a report by IRIN. Some 1.5 million people need urgent humanitarian assistance to respond to a severe drought. The French agency Action Contre la Faim (ACF) suspended operations in Afghanistan after 2 staff were kidnapped on 18 July. ACF has 250 staff in the country, and delivered assistance to 35,000... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: IRIN (UN News)
27806
United Nations
Annual Report Launched at UN: Global Gun Theft, Trafficking, Gun Violence
14 July 2008
United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI), New York, Media release
As delegates gathered in New York to consider the implementation of the Programme of Action on the illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons, the Small Arms Survey 2008: Risks and Resilience, was launched at a Headquarters press conference this morning.
The book is the eighth annual review of global small arms issues, which is produced by a team of researchers based in Geneva, Switzerland, and a worldwide network of local researchers. The publication was... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI), New York
27688
Sudan
Taking Civilians' Guns by Force Will Not Improve Security in South Sudan
2 June 2008
Sudan Tribune (France), Opinion
In response to decades of armed violence and cattle rustling, the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) is planning a campaign to forcibly collect firearms from southern citizens. Government officials' motivations are understandable. Endemic pastoralist violence is reaching dangerous levels and there are widespread suspicions of outside support for the perpetrators as part of efforts to scupper the fragile north-south peace process. But coercive disarmament will not resolve... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Sudan Tribune (France)
27256
United Nations
UN Security Council Holds Open Debate on Threat of Global Gun Trade
1 May 2008
Xinhua
UNITED NATIONS — The UN Security Council held on Wednesday an open debate on the threat posed by the illicit flow of small arms to international peace and security.
During the meeting, Hannelore Hoppe, deputy to the high representative for disarmament affairs, presented UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's first-ever report on small arms.
In the report, the UN chief said that, while a build-up of small arms alone may not create the conflicts in which they are used,... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Xinhua
27004
United Nations
Ban Ki-moon Gives First Report on Global Gun Trade to UN Security Council
1 May 2008
Associated Press of Pakistan
UNITED NATIONS — The uncontrolled trade in small arms and their excessive accumulation and proliferation poses a threat to international peace and security, a senior UN told the Security Council Wednesday.
"We have all witnessed how these weapons have been used to maim and kill; plunder and rape; instil fear and insecurity; block humanitarian aid; hold communities at ransom; destroy the social fabric of entire countries; and how their excessive accumulation and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press of Pakistan
27003
United Nations
UN Chief Urges Countries to Enhance Data Sharing on Guns, Ammunition
24 April 2008
Associated Press of Pakistan
UNITED NATIONS — UN Member States need to increase their collection, maintenance and sharing of data on small arms as part of measures to encourage disarmament, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says.
These weapons are "cheap, light and easy to handle, transport and conceal," Ban wrote in his first-ever report on the topic.
"While a build-up of small arms alone may not create the conflicts in which they are used, their excessive accumulation and universal availability... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Associated Press of Pakistan
26949
Kenya,East Africa
Development Money to East Africa Fails to End Gun Trade Among Herders
17 April 2008
Daily Nation (Nairobi)
LONDON — Donors have been asked to stop funding NGOs working for peace in northern Kenya because the money has failed to do anything to reduce conflicts between pastoralist communities.
Moreover, governments in East Africa have been challenged to do more to stop the proliferation of arms in the region. They have also been urged to work jointly to disarm all militia groups to improve security in the region.
These are the conclusions of two new studies on the... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Nation (Nairobi)
26886
Papua New Guinea
Bougainville Residents Want 'Outside Force' to Seize, Destroy Illegal Guns
10 April 2008
Post-Courier (Port Moresby)
A concerned citizen says a majority of the people from Central Bougainville want an intervention force to deal with the weapons issue.
The citizen, a long-time resident of Arawa Town who did not want to be identified, said the silent majority of Bougainvilleans were fed up with the Autonomous Bougainville Government's claims the weapons disposal issue could be solved by Bougainvilleans themselves.
"This is an outright lie by the ABG. Bougainvilleans are dying as a... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Post-Courier (Port Moresby)
27772
Canada,United Nations
Nations View Global Burden of Gun Violence Through a Development Lens
9 April 2008
Ottawa Citizen (Ontario), Opinion
Poor countries are less safe than rich ones. Most of the world's 30-odd armed conflicts are raging in the global South. As a country's human development ranking declines, its risk of succumbing to violent conflict grows. More than one-third of all countries mired in poverty experienced war since the late 1990s. Fewer than two per cent of rich countries experienced conflict over the same period.
The international aid community has been slow to grasp the real and urgent... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Ottawa Citizen (Ontario)
26766
Uganda
Uganda: Gun Running, Armed Violence Could Harm Northern Peace Deal
28 March 2008
Daily Monitor (Kampala)
KAMPALA/GULU — As northern Uganda prepares for a post-war recovery programme that will see thousands of displaced people resume a normal life, arms trafficking is becoming a serious security concern among the stakeholders.
Security and local leaders fear that the problem of illegal guns and weapons said to be in the hands of former LRA combatants, Karimojong warriors, army deserters, robbers, arms traffickers from Southern Sudan, Somalia and DR Congo could seriously... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Daily Monitor (Kampala)
26644
Angola
Angola Plans 'Guns for Development' Weapon Collection, Destruction
30 January 2008
Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
LUANDA — Angolan Home minister, Roberto Leal Monteiro "Ngongo", said Wednesday in Luanda that his institution will intensify actions to disarm the civilian population.
Speaking in an interview with the State-controlled "Rádio Nacional de Angola" broadcasting station, the official said the Interior Ministry has for that purpose defined three phases for the process.
He mentioned sensitising and organisation (including a seminar), voluntary surrender of weapons and... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press Agency (Luanda)
26000
Nigeria,West Africa
Governments, NGOs, UN Plan Roadmap for Gun Control in West Africa
15 January 2008
This Day (Lagos), Opinion
LAGOS — The proliferation, misuse and illegal possession of small arms and light weapons (SALWs) is becoming a common culture in various societies. In the not-too-distant past, SALWs was alien to the African society apart from the crude and primitive ones used by hunters in the hinterland.
Today, the incessant cases of political instability, deepening poverty, crimes of armed robberies, assassinations, militancy, oil bunkering, civil wars, ethnic insurgencies, to... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: This Day (Lagos)
25868
Mali,West Africa
Mali, West African ECOWAS Nations Launch Surveys of Gun Proliferation
8 December 2007
Angola Press
NIGERIA — Mali's Minister of Defence, Mr. Natie Plea, has described the Small Arms Survey as a great opportunity to find ways to ensure a stable polity through the control of small arms and light weapons.
A statement from the ECOWAS Small Arms Programme (ECOSAP) said Mr. Plea made the remarks earlier this week at the launch of the small arms survey programme of Mali.
He gave kudos to ECOSAP, which is supporting the conduct of the survey not only in Mali but in all... (GunPolicy.org)
Read More: Angola Press
25567
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