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ACSS Small Arms Seminar
West African Leaders to Examine the Scourge of Small Arms and Light Weapons Proliferation
December 4, 2006
Hoping to better understand the threats posed by small arms and light weapons (SALW), evaluate previous attempts to curb their proliferation, and develop new strategies to combat their use, the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS) and the Burkina Faso Ministry of Defense have partnered to organize a workshop entitled “Enhancing Capacity for Tackling SALW Proliferation in West Africa.” More than 40 officials, representing 14 West African nations, will gather in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, from 4-7 December 2006, to discuss issues related to SALW proliferation.
Small arms have been referred to as Africa’s weapon of mass destruction because they are extremely inexpensive and readily available throughout the continent. The ease with which they are found and used must be addressed for peace and prosperity to exist in Africa.
Experts agree that the proliferation of SALW has become one of the most pressing security challenges in West Africa. Not only do these weapons prolong the life of several violent conflicts, but their uncontrolled spread within the sub-region poses a grave danger to domestic and regional security, as well as long-term stability and development.
The event in Ouagadougou is envisioned as a follow-on to the highly successful SALW seminar organized by ACSS in 2004 in Kampala, Uganda, and will be the first of a series of five such sub-regional workshops to be held throughout Africa in the coming years.
Anticipated outcomes of the workshop include:
- Enhancement of capacity among West Africa’s civilian and military/security officials in charge of designing policies and programs to tackle small arms and light weapons.
- Identification of key policy, institutional, and capacity gaps.
- Stimulation of innovative thinking in combating these groups of weaponry.
- Adoption of best practices for the management and control of small arms and light weapons in West Africa.
Ambassador Jeanine Jackson, U.S. Ambassador to Burkina Faso, will give welcoming remarks. Col. Mahamane Touré, the Deputy Executive Secretary for Political Affairs, Defence and Security of the Economic Community of West African States, will deliver the Keynote Address. Other speakers include Mr. Francis K. Sang, the Executive Secretary of the Regional Centre on Small Arms and Light Weapons based in Nairobi, Kenya; Mr. Ilhan Berkol, head of Small Arms Project of GRIP based in Brussels, Belgium; and government officials of Burkina Faso.
The Africa Center for Strategic Studies supports U.S. policy by bringing civilian and military leaders together for informed debate on current security challenges facing Africa and the international community. For more information about the Africa Center, visit http://www.africacenter.org/.