NAIROBI, May 16 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations and African states kicked off a three-day meeting in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi on Tuesday to discuss ways of controlling the proliferation of small arms and weapons in the region.
The event brought together officials from the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA) as well as the 15 member states of the Regional Center on Small Arms in the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa and Bordering States (RECSA) to review ways of preventing the diversion of small arms and light weapons for illegal activities and hence contributing to the implementation of the African Union Silencing the Guns initiative.
In his opening remarks, Ivor Richard Fung, chief of the Conventional Arms Branch at the UNODA, said that one way of eradicating the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons is through strengthening national arms regulations. "These weapons also need to be marked so that they are given a specific identity so that they can be easily traced and recovered."
Badreldin Elamin Abdelgadir, executive secretary of the RECSA, said that combating the unregulated trade in small arms and light weapons in all its aspects, as well as addressing the impact of misuse of legally owned weapons requires examining the human factors behind the supply, demand, and misuse of such weapons.
He noted that all the spheres of society have to be integrated and mobilized to ensure that all actors and institutions play a role in preventing the illicit arms flows, and diversion of weapons into the illegal and criminal networks.
Wilson Njega, principal administrative secretary in Kenya's Ministry of Interior and National Administration, said that the country is about to fulfill one of its commitments to regional and international treaties on arms control as it nears completion of its marking of firearms and ammunition.
Njega said that the National Police Service has already marked 98 percent of its firearms stock while the Kenya Defence Forces 70 percent. "Considering that small arms and light weapons are responsible for many deaths and injuries in armed conflicts, it is imperative that we enhance the traceability of our firearms and ammunition." ■
