Include hand guns in arms trade treaty - EAC

EAC region wants a treaty that includes all arms in the UN Conventional Arms Register along with small arms and light weapons and Ammunitions

East African Community member states are pushing for hand guns and ammunitions to be among weapons whose trade should be regulated by the Arms Trade Treaty.

In a speech made in New York where the treaty is being negotiated, EAC deputy secretary general Julius Rotich said Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda Uganda and Tanzania support the establishment of the treaty.

“The EAC Region has over the years experienced and continues to experience the devastating consequences of unregulated arms transfers. The easy availability of arms has facilitated displacement of populations, widespread human rights abuses and undermined legitimate governments among others,” Dr Rotich said.

The UN had only listed big war machines like warships, helicopter gunships, war planes and armoured vehicles as those that should be regulated.

Governments want to agree a potentially historic Arms Trade Treaty [ATT] that could help end the devastation caused by the irresponsible and poorly regulated arms trade. The conference ends on July 27 in New York.

Dr Rotich said the link between unregulated arms transfers, human rights and humanitarian issues should be at the core of the Treaty objectives “drawing from our regional experience.”

Dr Rotich and Amnesty International Kenya director Justus Nyang’aya said said although the UN had addressed some aspects of small arms and light weapons, “it stills falls short of the desired legal transfers control regime that would be provided for by an Arms Trade Treaty.”

Dr Rotich said the EAC wants a treaty that will address the problems associated with unregulated transfers of arms.

“A robust Arms Trade Treaty fully implemented through a transparent process, will enhance confidence among states, reduce the incentive to accumulate arms and hence reduced spending on arms and spur economic development through enhanced social spending,” he said.

He said the EAC region wants a treaty that includes all arms in the UN Conventional Arms Register along with small arms and light weapons and Ammunitions.

In an interview in Nairobi, Mr Nyang’aya who arrived in the country from New York on Tuesday said Amnesty International is lobbying governments to protect the world from irresponsible use of guns.

“More than 500,000 people die annually because of irresponsible use guns. If the killings go on for five years, it would clear the whole of population of Botswana which is two million, or five constituencies in Kenya and 10 years everybody,” Mr Nyang’aya said.

He cited Ivory Coast where 64,000 women and girls were raped, maimed and harmed in two years war.

“The use of small and light weapons in Mali and West Africa is a big thing not big helicopter gunships, war ships or planes. That is why we want the treaty to require governments of world to talk with traders to protect human beings,” Mr Nyang’aya said.

He said there should be a system of tracking the sale and transfer of arms in a transparent way and records kept for up to 20 years. The usage of the arms even at police stations should also be monitored.

According Amnesty International, the top traders of arms in terms of value in US dollars are the US, Russia, France, the UK, Israel, Italy, Germany, China, Sweden and Spain.
“The countries should at least do a risk assessment before selling arms to any buyer as it is not just a question of business but life and death. Irresponsible sell of arms will end up in hands of terrorists and thugs. Currently it is easier to trade on guns than bananas or bottled water,” Mr Nyang’aya said.

He regretted that reports indicated that some Kenyans like in Kibera in Nairobi were acquiring guns for use in case of violence in next year’s General Elections.

“That is why we want the government to pay attention as guns have landed in wrong hands. We want a treaty that makes it impossible for militia groups like al-shabaab to acquire arms,” he said.

He said up to 2010, 43 million people had been forced to flee from their homes worldwide because of small arms and light weapons and that in 2011 at least 14 countries were involved in armed conflict.