The Menace of Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons in Ghana

The Menace Of Illicit Small Arms And Light Weapons In Ghana

By Abundant Robert K. AWOLUGUTU
DEP. DIR. OF PRISONS
Tamale Central Prisons.
The crave for the acquisition of small arms and light weapons is said to be on the ascendancy in this country. Findings of a survey conducted by the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in December, 2013 revealed that 2.3 million guns are estimated to be in civilian hands.(The Finder, Monday, 27 July, 2015).

Reasons that have often be cited for the possession of firearms include, for safety and protection and defensive purposes, for hunting, to use when there is impending danger such as possible outbreak of violence, and as a symbol of prestige. Some owners of firearms have used them for the wrong purpose such as armed robbery and shooting even in the smallest of conflict.

The proliferation of small arms and light weapons has fuelled communal violence, chieftaincy and land disputes in various parts of the country. Deaths and serious injuries from gun violence is commonplace. The following illustrates the point better.

On 24 July, 2015, a police constable, Wonder Kovey was shot dead by armed robbers in the Volta Region (Daily Graphic, 24 July, 2015).

On page 3 of the Daily Graphic, Monday, 11 May, 2015 is the screaming headline: “Boy, 13, kills 2 playmates with father’s single barreled gun.” The boy in question was said to have threatened his two peers with shooting and went for his father’s loaded single barreled gun and shot them to death.

The Finder of Monday, April 27, 2015 edition reported the deaths of 3 family members from gun violence. The report said, “A man is said to have shot five people at Mayera, a town near Sampa in the Brong Ahafo Region, Saturday dawn.

Kwabena Martin, according to some residents, shot his father, Nana Sekyere, and four family members before later turning the gun on himself.” The perpetrator of the crime was said to be mentally challenged.

Gun violence erupted in Tuobodom in the Techiman North District in the Brong Ahafo Region when unidentified assailants fired shots which killed five people and caused serious injuries to eight others (Daily Graphic, August 14, 2015). The incident was said to have happened like a Hollywood movie when some people wearing masks and sitting in the bucket of a motorking tricycle started firing indiscriminately in an area of the town called Krotia.

Another report in the Daily Graphic of August 4, 2015 says, “Two persons have been arrested by the Dodowa police following the shooting of a 22-year old man at Louom. The suspects were arrested with two AK 47 assault rifles, 52 rounds of ammunition and 32 rounds of pistol cartridges.” The arms were found in their room following a search that was conducted.

Apart from the needless loss of lives and the destruction properties, it has also led to the displacement of people in some cases. The mad rush for small arms and light weapons has led to the emergence of criminal gangs such as armed party foot soldiers who allegedly intimidate and attack political opponents, land guards to protect lands belonging to individuals, families and groups. Other social vices such as armed robberies, carjackings, and rape have been perpetrated by people in possession of small arms.

Local arms manufacturers, dealers in illicit arms and unscrupulous security agents are the main sources of supply of these weapons. Most of the arms have been smuggled into the country from neighbouring countries. For instance the Daily Graphic of July 23, 2015 reported the arrest of a driver of a private bus that was carrying 800 boxes of shotgun cartridges from Accra to Techiman. It was believed the ammunitions were smuggled into the country for illicit purposes.

The threat posed by small arms and light weapons to security, peace and economic development is real and therefore there is the need to tackle the menace head on.

This approach requires multi-sectorial and multi-stakeholder collaboration in information gathering, sharing of information, monitoring, border control and the management of small arms and light weapons. An elaborate National Action Programme should be crafted to spear head the crusade against the proliferation of small arms, their control and management in the national interest.

There is the need for security experts in the country to foster close cooperation with their counterparts in other countries for the purpose of tracking down those involved in illicit arms trafficking and reducing the incidence of cross border crimes.

The National Commission on Small arms and light weapons must be equipped with the requisite resources and logistics to enable it deliver on its mandate.

The police are a key role player when it comes to illicit small arms and light weapons control and management. It is therefore not out of place to suggest that the police be given more training to build their capacity and also be given the necessary tools, logistics and modern equipment including communication gadgets and transport to enhance their performance. The police forensic laboratory should also be upgraded and equipped with new technologies.

The activities of local arm manufacturers should be closely monitored in terms of the types of arms they make, their quantities and methods of distribution.

There is the need for the police to ensure that all arms in possession of people are registered, test fired and ballistic information on them kept in a national data base for easy tracking when these arms are used in committing crime.

Civil society organizations should be involved in the fight against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons. They can organize sensitization workshops on the security challenges and the dangers posed by people owning small arms and light weapons. This will encourage people to volunteer information on people who own firearms but do not want to register them for one reason or the other. There should be legislation to make it possible for locally manufactured arms to be registered. Armed robbers who are unable to get the more sophisticated arms rely on locally manufactured pistols and guns to carry out their nefarious activities.

Police visibility should be felt in every community nationwide. This is because there are many towns and communities without police post or station. It is hoped government will give the green light for the Police Administration to recruit more personnel to improve their visibility across the country.

We have National and Regional Peace Councils not only to prevent conflicts from erupting but to also put in place peace building mechanisms to accelerate economic development, good governance and promotion of human rights and the rule of law. Civil society organizations, Faith Based Organizations and Human Rights related organizations should support these councils to achieve durable peace for the country.

Gun violence is no respecter of persons; everybody should therefore support the security agencies to effectively curb the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons so that we can have peaceful elections in 2016. We can only accelerate the economic development of our country when there is peace. We should never allow a culture of gun violence to rear its ugly head in this country. Ghana is the only country we have; we should not destroy it through the mindless use of firearms.

Abundant Robert K. AWOLUGUTU
Correction Officer, Priest & Author
Email: [email protected]

Cell: 0208 455 296