African countries have been accused of dragging their feet in ratifying the Arms Trading Treaty (ATT) even as the continent is the most affected by the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.

Africa today has 16 UN peacekeeping missions and accounts for 78 per cent of the organisation’s peacekeeping force.

“Africa has much to gain from a controlled arms trade that will in the long run reduce the number of illegal arms in circulation on the continent,” said Theoneste Mutsindashyaka, executive director of the Regional Centre on Arms and Light Weapons.

According to the UN, there are more than 875,000,000 illegal weapons in the world, of which 100,000,000 are in Africa. The report says illegal small arms lead to the death of 526,000 people annually.

“I don’t understand why African countries are not taking the small arms and light weapons issues as a priority: we cannot develop when we are in conflict,” Mr Mutsindashyaka added.

The treaty

The Arms Trade Treaty establishes common international standards for the regulation of the international trade in conventional arms, ammunition, parts and components of small arms and light weapons.

“This treaty binds both the exporting and the importing countries in ensuring the highest levels of integrity,” said Mareike Buettner the associate legal officer, of the UN Regional Centre for Peace and Disarmament in Africa.

The treaty further binds all importing state parties to ensure all relevant information is provided under request to the exporting party it will also be mandatory in accordance with relevant international law for a country to take appropriate measures where there is transit of conventional arms through its territory.

“A country will ensure that the arms are not diverted to other undesignated areas or to unauthorised persons while they are in transit,” said Mr Mutsindashyaka.

The continent today is suffering the consequences of an inflow of illegal arms from the Middle East in Syria, where the rebels have been trying to topple the leadership of President Assad, and the Shia-Sunni war that has seen the Shia muslims, the Houthis rebel group affiliated to the Al Qaeda network, overthrow President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi of Yemen.

Security experts say the deposed leadership of Muammar Gaddaffi of Libya led to proliferation of small arms in the continent.