FOSDA calls for stronger action to prevent diversion of small arms, light weapons

The Foundation for Security and Development in Africa (FOSDA) has called on States to strengthen political commitment and take concrete action to prevent the diversion of small arms and light weapons (SALW) into illicit markets, warning that diversion remains one of the greatest threats to peace, security and development across Africa and beyond.

The call was made by Theodora Williams Anti, Executive Director of FOSDA, during the Ninth Biennial Meeting of States (BMS9) on the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (UNPoA) and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI), held at a time of growing global insecurity fueled by armed conflicts, terrorism, violent extremism and organized crime.

Speaking during the meeting, Ms. Williams Anti emphasized that while significant progress has been made in strengthening international arms control frameworks, the continued diversion of legally manufactured and transferred weapons into illicit circulation remains a major challenge.

The Elephant in the Room
She questioned how non-state armed groups, terrorists, insurgents and criminal networks continue to acquire weapons despite existing national, regional and international control measures.

“The reality is that many of these actors are not manufacturing the weapons they use,” Ms. Williams Anti noted. “Weapons are often diverted from legal production, legal transfers or national stockpiles before finding their way into illicit markets and ultimately into the hands of unauthorized users.”

The continued leakage of weapons from legal to illegal channels undermines peacebuilding efforts, fuels conflict, enables terrorism and contributes to widespread insecurity.

If the international community is serious about reducing armed violence, it must be equally serious about addressing the pathways through which weapons are diverted into illicit circulation.

For Africa, the challenge is particularly urgent.
Across the continent, illicit small arms and light weapons continue to fuel armed conflicts, violent extremism, terrorism, communal violence and transnational organized crime. From the Sahel to the Gulf of Guinea, armed groups continue to exploit weaknesses in stockpile management, border controls and regulatory systems to acquire weapons that are later used against civilians and state authorities.

The consequences are devastating. Communities are displaced, livelihoods are destroyed, development gains are reversed and public confidence in state institutions is weakened.

Preventing diversion therefore goes beyond arms control to peacebuilding, governance and development.

FOSDA emphasized that preventing diversion is essential to the effective implementation of key international and regional instruments, including the United Nations Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (UNPoA), the International Tracing Instrument (ITI) and the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, Their Ammunition and Other Related Materials.

These frameworks provide States with important commitments and practical measures for regulating the transfer, possession, tracing and management of small arms and light weapons. However, their effectiveness depends on strong national implementation, political will and sustained investment in enforcement and oversight mechanisms.

The issue of diversion is also central to the African Union’s Silencing the Guns Agenda.

The aspiration of a peaceful, secure and prosperous Africa cannot be achieved while weapons continue to flow into illicit markets and fuel violence across the continent. Efforts to silence the guns require stronger national controls, enhanced regional cooperation and greater accountability in the management, transfer and storage of weapons.

The implementation of the UNPoA, the ITI and the ECOWAS Convention provides critical frameworks through which States can translate political commitments into practical measures that reduce armed violence and improve human security.

For African States, strengthening implementation of these instruments is one of the most direct contributions that can be made towards achieving the objectives of Agenda 2063 and Silencing the Guns.

A key focus of BMS9 was the impact of emerging technologies on arms control.

Discussions highlighted growing concerns regarding 3D-printed firearms, polymer weapons, modular weapons and the increasing use of digital platforms in illicit arms trafficking. Experts also noted the potential implications of artificial intelligence and other technological innovations for both arms control and arms proliferation.

While technology presents significant opportunities for improving marking, tracing, record-keeping and stockpile management, it also creates new risks that require urgent attention.

FOSDA therefore calls on States to invest in research, capacity building and cooperation with the private sector to ensure that technological advancements strengthen arms control rather than facilitate the illicit manufacture and trafficking of weapons.

“We call on States to strengthen political commitment to prevent the diversion of small arms and light weapons to illicit markets and unauthorized recipients through effective export risk assessments, authenticated end-user certification, post-shipment verification measures, robust legal and regulatory frameworks, enhanced stockpile management and stronger accountability mechanisms,” Ms Williams Anti stated.

The success of the UN Programme of Action will not be measured by the number of meetings convened or statements delivered. It will be measured by whether fewer weapons reach terrorists, criminals and armed groups, and whether communities around the world experience greater peace and security.

The world does not need more commitments. It needs action.