EU commits 24.4 million euros to tackle illicit arms trafficking in West Africa

The European Union has committed 24.4 million Euros to fight against the illicit trafficking in small arms and light weapons (SALW) and strengthen cross-border cooperation in West Africa, as announced during a recent roundtable on this pressing issue held in Abuja, Nigeria.
Held under the theme of “Mapping the Landscape of SALW Proliferation in Nigeria: Gaps and Opportunities,” the roundtable was attended by stakeholders in bid to reduce the circulation of small arms and light weapons in Nigeria, which would help curb organized crime in the wider region. The EU funding was announced by the EU Programme Manager, Organized Crime West Africa Response to Trafficking, Enobong Moma, who noted that a lot of resources are required to finance projects and activities to eliminate the circulation of illicit SALW in countries and communities, to promote development. According to the EU official, illicit weapons, which are now even more readily available, pose a threat to electoral processes, weaken police authority, foster sexual violence, and undermine security efforts aimed at maintaining peace.
The EU initiative was also aimed at supporting the West African regional bloc ECOWAS and its member states including Nigeria in implementing the provisions of its Convention on SALW to promote peace, security and stability in the region, Moma said. “Its objective is also to improve public education and civic awareness on SALW proliferation and improve National Commissions’ and security sector institutions’ technical capacities in the field of SALW control,” she added. Head of ECOWAS Peace Support Operation, Sani Adamu, said the roundtable was a practical demonstration of Nigeria’s political will towards implementing the key provisions in the convention on ECOWAS policy on arms transfer. Nigeria was the only country in the ECOWAS subregion that had so far fully and practically institutionalized the end user certification process when it import arms, Adamu added.