defenceWeb
Written by Olusegun Akinfenwa -
South Sudan rebels.
Armed conflict is one of Africa’s greatest challenges and has cost the continent unquantifiable human and financial losses for decades. Despite efforts by local and international stakeholders to bring lasting peace to the continent, the crises worsen by the day, owing to the proliferation of small arms and light weapons (SALWs) in many African communities.
It must be noted that weapons themselves are not necessarily the root cause of armed crises in Africa, but they are the major factors fueling and sustaining them. 80% of small arms in Africa are in the hands of civilians, says an independent research centre, Small Arms Survey (SAS). A greater proportion of them is possessed illegally. For instance, while government related entities hold less than 11 million SAWLs, civilians, including militant and rebel groups, hold more than 40 million.