Ethiopia destroys over 10,000 illegal small arms
By Tesfa-alem Tekle
December 7, 2007 (ADDIS ABABA) — The Ethiopia Authorities today said, they have set 13,000 illicit small arms on fire which are recovered by the police over the past year in an on going effort to curb the proliferation of illegal weapons in the horn of Africa and the Great lakes region.
Addis Ababa police, in a statement released on Friday, said the fire arms have been recovered from criminals, gang groups and from voluntarily surrendered by members of the public.
Addis police commander Yemane legesse said “some 10,000 hand guns and 3,000 hand grenades are set on fire yesterday.”
The destruction of the illegal weapons was taken in line with the Nairobi protocol for preventation, control in reduction of small arms and illegal light weapons signed in 2004 by states that had earlier initiated the Nairobi declaration.
“Further more 15,000 hand knives and 170,000 bullets are also set on fire.”yemane said adding.” the efforts of rooting out small arms will be continued across the nation.”
In a similar efforts Ethiopia has burned down 1700 illegal small arms last year.
Yesterday’s move comes after leaders and delegation of the great lake countries hold security meeting with US secretary of state Condoleezza rice in the Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa on Wednesday.
Ethiopia is signatory to the first Nairobi declaration of the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapon in the proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapon in the great lakes region and the horn Africa which was first signed in 2000 by countries of Burundi Ethiopia, Eritrea, Kenya, Sudan, Rwandan, Uganda, Tanzania, Democratic republic of Congo, Djibouti and Seychelles.
The illegal weapons burned down will be taken to furnace and re-processed to a positive plan.
The ever present problem of growing availability of small arms has been a major factor in increase of the number of conflicts and in hindering smoother rebuilding and development after a conflict has ended, especially in African countries.
It is believed that there are about half a billion military small arms around the world.
Some 300,000 to half a million people around the world get killed by them each year.
They are the major cause of civilian causalities in modern conflicts which accounts over 80% in civilian casuality.
(ST)