Small arms light weapons proliferation: time to link community and international efforts
16 June 2014As the international community meets in New York this week to evaluate progress under the UN Programme of Action on small arms and light weapons, James Ndung’u and Kat Achilles argue that a community focussed approach is needed to successfully address small arms and light weapons proliferation and misuse locally.
This week, colleagues from Saferworld’s Kenya programme are attending the 5th Biennial Meeting of States to discuss the implementation of the UN Programme of Action (PoA) on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW). The meeting is evaluating progress under the PoA to address the illegal trading and circulation of SALW globally. In recent years Kenya has been a champion of arms control internationally and in the region; it was prominent in the Arms Trade Treaty process, which resulted in a Treaty being adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2013 and has led on the development of regional initiatives and policies to address SALW proliferation in the Horn of Africa and Great Lakes regions.
Yet to date, the policy decisions and statements made at both the international and regional levels have had limited impact locally. There are estimated to be between 530,000 to 680,000 small arms and light weapons in civilian hands in Kenya. The proliferation and misuse of firearms represents a major security challenge for local communities and authorities across the country, but particularly in frontier counties. Weapons are accessible from conflict-affected neighbouring countries through porous borders, and also within the country from government stockpiles with ineffective weapons registration and management systems.
Demand from communities for weapons is increasing. Competition between pastoralist communities for pasture and water, cattle-rustling and criminal activities linked to low levels of economic development in frontier areas have led to increasing insecurity and inter-communal violence. At the same time, state institutions responsible for security are barely present, often relying on the National Police Reserve (NPR) drawn from communities to undertake policing responsibilities in these areas. Members of the NPR themselves have allegedly been implicated in the diversion of state-owned firearms and their subsequent misuse.
Communities feel vulnerable and as a result they are arming themselves to fill the void left by the failure of the state to provide security. The perception in many areas is that accessing and possessing weapons guarantees security. At the same time, many community members acknowledge that their weapons caches have not led to any positive changes in their security situation and have not made them feel any safer.
If communities are to address the demand for and misuse of small arms, it is vital that the wider dynamics of conflict and the trust deficit that too often exists between conflict affected communities and the state, are also addressed. In Isiolo and West Pokot counties we are working to support communities and security providers to develop a collective understanding of the problems in their communities underpinning insecurity and misuse of firearms and develop joint strategies for overcoming the drivers of conflict which promote reliance on small arms.
One of the crucial issues emerging from these discussions is the recognition that the misuse of government weapons is a key driver of violence in their communities. As a result, the National Police Service, the Kenya National Focal Point on SALW , Saferworld and other national and local civil society organisations have developed an electronic database to record and monitor stockpiles which should lead to more accountable and effective stockpile management and reduce the misuse of state-owned weapons. Attempts to address SALW misuse must take a holistic approach; reducing the accessibility and availability of small arms and at the same time addressing the causes of insecurity which push people and communities towards arming themselves, including by increasing the effectiveness and, crucially, accountability of local security services. This requires supporting communities and security providers to work together to identify and address problems. Using this approach, ongoing work in these counties promises to make a real difference to people’s lives.
Kenya is not alone in facing serious challenges because of the proliferation and use of small arms. The 2011 Global Burden of Armed Conflict report showed that every year, more than 500,000 people die violent deaths across the world. Accordingly, the problem of SALW proliferation and misuse requires global attention, but, as in Kenya, for solutions to be successful they must be rooted in the empowerment of local communities to address broader security concerns that lead them to demand and misuse small arms.
Jame Ndung'u is project manager for Saferworld's SALW project, Kat Achilles is Regional Policy and Advocacy Advisor for Kenya.
Saferworld is hosting a side event at the 5th Biennial Meeting on our work on local stockpile management at 1.15-2.30pm on Thursday 19 June in Conference Room B.
Read more about Saferworld’s work in Kenya.
“If communities are to address the demand for and misuse of small arms, it is vital that the wider dynamics of conflict and the trust deficit that too often exists between conflict affected communities and the state, are also addressed. ”
James Ndung'u, Kat Achilles
