United Nations Reiterate Economic Dangers Of Small Arms In West Africa

The deputy country director of the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP, Mandisa Masholugu says both ECOWAS and relevant agencies of the United Nations must increase advocacy on the economic dangers posed by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in Africa.

He said this at the regional symposium held to launch the survey project report on small arms and light weapons in the Sahel and neighbouring countries. The survey which was conducted in nine African countries show that proliferation of small arms is not only on the increase but linked with drugs and human trafficking.

For the deputy director of the U.N. regional centre for peace and disarmament in Africa, Jiaming Miao and ECOWAS head of small arms division, Joseph Ahoba, the recent crisis in the Sahel, and increasing insecurity in the lake chad basin has greatly worsened the already tense situation.

Culled from: AIT