By Abdulwasiu Hassan
The illegal proliferation of firearms in the hands of non-state actors has left Africa battling an unseen enemy that is exacting a price far exceeding what is visible on the surface
From Somalia, Ethiopia, Mali and Sudan to South Sudan, Niger, Nigeria and Libya, arms trafficking continues to thrive and fuel anarchy, conflict and crime in many parts of the continent.
Millions have lost their lives in this cycle of violence, including terrorism, while many more have been displaced.
Such is the extent of the menace that the continent is finding it challenging to keep pace with Target 16.4, part of the UN's Sustainable Development Goal of reducing illicit financial and arms flow by 2030.
So, what is the source of this conduit of illicit weapons coursing through the heart of Africa? The answer isn't easy to find, although numbers tell a part of the story.
Civilian-held firearms
According to a piece of research by Small Arms Survey, an associated programme of the Geneva-based Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, the number of small weapons held by civilians in Africa stood at over 40 million in 2017.
West African countries led the field with almost 11 million of those – 10,972,200, to be precise – followed by North Africa with 10,241,000 arms.
In East Africa, 7,802,000 arms were held by civilians, while 6,012,000 were registered in Southern Africa. Central Africa completes the list with 4,981,000 licensed arms in the hands of civilians.
The figures may look dire but pale in comparison to several other regions outside the continent.
Africa accounts for less than 5% of the civilian-held firearms in the world. In the continent, 3.2% of civilians hold small arms, according to Small Arms Survey, an associated programme of the Geneva Graduate Institute in Switzerland. This is minuscule compared to 46.3% in the Americas.
But in a continent where there are still ungoverned spaces, even this relatively small density of small arms poses a potent danger to the unarmed millions. Throw illicit firearms into the mix and you have a tinder box waiting to implode.
Gunrunning route
Analysts believe illicit arms get into the hands of non-state actors mainly through unscrupulous security agents and traffickers.
"Two factors are fuelling the proliferation of arms in different parts of Africa — internal conflict and the breakdown of governments in some countries," Group Captain Sadeeq Garba Shehu, a retired security expert, tells TRT Afrika.
Once the floodgates open, it is just a matter of time before illegal firearms get into the wrong hands, putting civilian lives in danger.
"We have evidence of arms and ammunition being stolen from military and police armouries. Procedures exist for issuing service arms and ammunition, but these are sometimes disregarded," says Shehu.
"As someone who served in the military, I know there is a standing regulation that if people are going for any exercise, they will be given a particular weapon with a number on it. If there was any need for you to fire, you are supposed to collect the blank round and come back with it."
Security agents aren't the only ones responsible for getting arms into the wrong hands. Gunrunning is rampant, too.
One of the major routes of arms trafficking is from Libya to Sub-Saharan Africa, which leaders like former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari have blamed for instability in their regions.
In its 2019 paper, Small Arms Survey listed several arms-trafficking routes such as those between Benin and Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire, Guinea Bissau and Senegal, Gambia and Senegal, Liberia and Sierra Leone/Guinea, Algeria and Mali, Chad and Niger, Nigeria and Niger, the Lake Chad region, and Niger and Mali.
Plugging loopholes
Security experts iterate that the key to preventing the pilferage of arms and ammunition is strengthening processes at armouries.
"As for the arms and ammunition that are already in the hands of criminals or bandits, the only way you can nullify them is through a systematic crackdown," Shehu tells TRT Afrika.
"People with no criminal intent may also buy weapons without following proper procedures because that's what happens in an atmosphere of low security. You have to put in place proper licensing procedures."
Shehu hastens to add that selling and buying arms for legal purposes should not be pushed underground lest it spawn a bigger problem. "Strict regulation is of the essence, mainly to ensure that arms don't go into the hands of criminals."
The Small Arms Survey report also proposes several measures to counter arms smuggling, including strengthening coordination between international agencies and national security providers, beefing up intelligence-gathering, and using UN missions in the region to enhance understanding and response to the proliferation of illicit arms.
As governments renew their pledge on UN Disarmament Week (October 24 to 30) to contain the growing threat of illegal firearms, people across Africa hope they can go about their lives without staring down the barrel.
