Stakeholders urged to act against illicit firearms
The Programme Officer, Foundation for Security and Development in Africa, Solomon Okai, said the figure excluded the millions of sophisticated weapons imported by criminal gangs through unapproved channels.
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ECOWAS
Quoting statistics from Ghana’s National Small Arms Commission, Mr Okai, at the opening of a three-day sensitisation workshop to harmonise guidelines of the ECOWAS convention on small arms and light weapons (SALW) and arms trade treaty in Accra said, small arms and light weapons were now a serious threat that needed immediate attention, unwavering dedication and coordinated actions to guarantee the security and welfare of the citizenry.
He said SALW had the ability to sabotage the peace, incite war and split societies.
"Although Ghana is renowned for its relative peace and stability (Global Peace Index), it is not exempt from the dangers posed by SALWs", he said.
That, he said, was because criminals and other unauthorised users had gained access to SALW, endangering the safety and security of residents.
"Unchecked SALWs have deadly and far-reaching effects.
Our social and economic progress is hampered by the rise in violent crimes, armed robberies and kidnappings," he said.
Efforts
Mr Okai stated that access to SALW fed intercommunal disputes, further dividing people and causing the uprooting of families and communities.
SALWs, he said also posed a threat to democratic institutions and stand in the way of progress toward wealth and sustainable development.
The National Commission for Small Arms (NACSA), he said was working together with civil society organisations on the effective control of SALW and related materials.
Mr Okai also suggested collaboration with regional and global partners, such as the United Nations and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to advance information sharing, align legal frameworks and support joint initiatives to combat the illicit trade in weaponry.
"The involvement of our communities and the raising of public awareness are both crucial.
We need to inform the public about the risks posed by SALWs and urge them to report any suspicious activity".
Convention
It was to acquaint them with the comprehensive content of the harmonised guideline of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons and the Arms Trade Treaty.
The workshop organised by the ECOWAS Commission, in partnership with the Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA), is part of processes to develop an effective and comprehensive national strategy on small arms control towards the operationalisation of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) and the Arms Trade Treaty (ATT).
The Arms Trade Treaty serves as a crucial global framework, providing guidelines for responsible arms trade and preventing illicit flows that fuel conflicts and human rights abuses.
The ECOWAS Commissioner in charge of Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Abdrl??-Fatau Musah in a speech read on his behalf by the resident representative of ECOWAS in Ghana, Baba Gana Wakil, said small arms and light weapons, ammunition and their components had inflicted immeasurable suffering on societies.
Their widespread availability, he said had fuelled conflicts, perpetuated violence, undermined stability, and hindered socio-economic development.
He said recognising the urgency of the issue, ECOWAS, through the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, had taken the bold step towards ensuring peace and security within the region.
The Convention, he stated further, was a testament to the commitment of ECOWAS to disarmament, non proliferation and arms control.
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The Deputy Head of Mission of the European Union (EU) Delegation to Ghana, Pieter Smidt Van Gelder, said "the availability of firearms fuels crime and terrorism.
Without arms, criminals would be much less dangerous; and without weapons, terrorists would pose a significantly lower threat to peace and stability."
The EU’s Action Plan on firearms trafficking from 2020 to 2025 aims to strengthen cooperation with partner countries that suffer from the flow of illicit arms and transnational organised crime in the fight against firearms.