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Gambia News : Country Would Benefit From $60,000 Project, Says SOS For Interior

Annia Gaye

The Secretary of State for Interior, Hon Ousman Sonko has said The Gambia would benefit from a $ 60,000 project initiative framework for the sub-regional activities, which are related to small arms and light weapons in the sub-region. He noted that the project is important for the sub-region as it is one of the most volatile regions in the continent.

Sonko made this remarks, on behalf of the Vice President, at the opening of a two-day workshop on National Public Dialogue on Small Arms and Light Weapons (SALW) on Monday 12 November 2007 at the Paradise Suites Hotel in Kololi.

He said The Gambia is situated very close to long-standing conflicts in the Cassamance and Guinea Bissau; that there is the need therefore for a national strategy to deal with issues such as acquisition, use and registration of small arms and light weapons among others. He added that the security and stability of the communities and the country is a major concern and preoccupation of the Government, which he said is in line with the national development objectives as enshrined in vision 2020. He said the control of the spread of small arms and light weapons is a sine-qua-non for peace and development, which the Government gives its full support.

"I am pleased to state that preparations are far advanced towards ratifying the ECOWAS convention on small arms and light weapons and the setting up of a National Commission on small arms and light weapons in conformity with the directive of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of States and Government," he said. He remarked that a National ad hoc Committee on small arms is already in existence and is a broad based committee which involves all the security outfits in the country to make the work of the committee very easy in tracking and controlling arms and ammunition. Sonko noted that the involvement of The Gambia Revenue Authority in terms of customs, the Immigration, the police and the National Intelligence Agency means that the committee would not have much difficulty in dealing with the issue of movement of weapons in unauthorized hands. He said that the Government bears responsibility for the security and stability of the country. He said the civil society organisations being close to the grassroots, have a critical role in disseminating information "I have been reliably informed that WANEP-Gambia had recently concluded a pilot project on small arms control in the Kantora District of the Upper River Region. The residents of Koina village and its satellite villages are beneficiaries of development projects initiated with exchange for the registration and surrender of their small arms and light weapons for ultimate destruction by the appropriate Authorities," he said. He concluded that WANEP-Gambia is a real and effective partner in the fight against the proliferation of small arms and light weapons within the communities, the overall maintenance of peace, security and stability of the country.