Abstract

Africa is transiting through a trying phase in the history of its evolution as a major world civilization. These trying challenges are characterized by the extremes of hunger, the conditions of massive refugee flow and internally displaced persons occasioned by the gruesome phenomenon of violent conflicts and wars. The paper sets out essentially to establish the connection between the massive flow of small arms and light weapons (SALW) since the end of the Cold War and the equally catastrophic revolutionary ferment that characterized the Arab Spring across the fertile crescent and the Maghreb. The paper is sustainably driven by core normative paradigms covering the vast area of illicit armaments and their orchestrating influence in igniting violence. To weave the perspectives captured herein, the paper depended almost exclusively on the content analysis of existing literary materials in the humanist and social science traditions. Findings confirm that indeed small arms and light weapons abound within our case studies (Nigeria and the CAR), a phenomenon that both ignites and sustains violent conflicts within these previously peaceful national territorial entities. By way of recommendation the paper advocates the strengthening of existing legal and political protocols and the fortification of the borders of these countries if they are to remain virile and relevant in the international socio-economic and political order.   Key words: Arms, conflicts, proliferation, war, insecurity, hunger, light weapon.

Highlights

  • The rhythm of international and African conflicts in thePost Cold War era has become increasingly fueled and sustained by the incidence(s) of the observable reality of the malignant scourge of the proliferation of Small Arms and Light weapons (SALW)

  • Chief amongst these are the extant porosity of the borders delineating these countries; the dilemma of obsolete national legislation, the precariousness of regional peace processes; the lack of capacity on the parts of both government and the civil society to effectively monitor the legal and illegal movements of firearms and most importantly, the lack of data from which to assess the improvements that may result from the effective implementation of the SADC protocols (Garcia, 2009)

  • The following conclusion is devoted to reflections on core issues that have prominently featured as central themes in this essay. These include issues that bound on the relations between the proliferation of small arms and light weapons on the continent and the sub region in particular and the outbreak of violent conflagrations and wars

Read more

Summary

African Journal of Political Science and International Relations

The role of small arms and light weapons proliferation in African conflicts Ayuba, Caleb* and Okafor, Gerald. Africa is transiting through a trying phase in the history of its evolution as a major world civilization. These trying challenges are characterized by the extremes of hunger, the conditions of massive refugee flow and internally displaced persons occasioned by the gruesome phenomenon of violent conflicts and wars. The paper sets out essentially to establish the connection between the massive flow of small arms and light weapons (SALW) since the end of the Cold War and the catastrophic revolutionary ferment that characterized the Arab Spring across the fertile crescent and the Maghreb. Findings confirm that small arms and light weapons abound within our case studies (Nigeria and the CAR), a phenomenon that both ignites and sustains violent conflicts within these previously peaceful national territorial entities.

The rhythm of international and African conflicts in the
Sahara to the cancerous plague of the Boko Haram in the
LIGHT WEAPONS
Facilitation of the production of craft weapons
This survey has also proven that the continent losses
The political economy of SALW and its implications on regional security
The different forms of security challenges plaguing
Central African Republic
Union des Forces
FLOW INTO AFRICA
Declaration on Small Arms by the Ministers of foreign
With regards to the Southern African Development
Weapons in West Africa by the Conference of Heads of
The adoption of the ECOWAS Convention on Small
Conclusion
Conference of the ECOWAS Convention on Small Arms and Light
Print and Electronic References
Full Text
Published version (Free)

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call