Guns 

There are an estimated 639 million small arms and light weapons in the world today with 8 million being produced each year. One thousand men, women and children die every day as a result of armed violence, and thousands more are left injured, disabled and traumatized. While gun crime is rising rapidly worldwide, it is amongst some of the poorest areas in the world where the proliferation of illegal weapons has the most devastating impact on individuals and communities.

Although rich in natural resources such as oil, diamonds, precious metals, timber and rubber, many areas of west Africa present examples of the most extreme poverty and economic instability as armed groups vie for control over those resources. The continued proliferation/availability/presence of small arms in the region traps these nations in a cycle of violence and poverty.

Gun violence is a hindrance to development. The presence of guns hinders stability, making it difficult for people to support themselves as well as making other nations reluctant to provide humanitarian assistance. Armed groups use guns to instil fear and exert power over others.

However, in societies that do not afford their citizens security, stability or opportunities and where use of force is the norm, guns are often perceived as the only means they have to protect themselves, their families and their livelihoods.

In order for such societies to have a chance of stability, it will be necessary to change attitudes towards guns and violence, restrict the availability of arms and provide alternative opportunities.

Through community disarmament, security sector and legal reform, the establishment of licensed armouries, and physical destruction of weapons, Landmine Action works to find effective ways of removing weapons from circulation and reducing armed violence.

Landmine Action also supports Oxfam, Amnesty International and IANSA’s campaign for tougher international controls on arms transfer. Click here for more information on Control Arms.

Click here for more information on Landmine Action’s Weapons and Ammunitions Disposal (WAD) project in Liberia.