Call for firearms marking to fight illicit trafficking

The Minister of Internal Security and Chairman of the Regional Centre on Small Arms, Sheikh Musa Fazil Harerimana, has called for firearms to be marked and recorded as means of fighting illicit arms trafficking.Harerimana made the remarks as he opened a two-day trans-regional seminar on arms making guidelines for the Economic Community of Central Africa States (Eccas) in Kigali.The meeting, according to the minister, is an opportunity to harmonise efforts and share experience to track and fight the related crimes.“One region can never win the battle against proliferation of illicit small arms and light weapons unless it cooperates with other countries due to the trans-border nature of this crime,” he said.Participants include Rwanda government officials, EU representative to African Union Commission, representatives of the Eccas, and coordinators of National Commissions on Small Arms in the Eccas region.“The problems caused by the proliferation of illicit small and light weapons have undoubtedly gained much international attention owing to the overt and literal menace that they pose to both human life and progressive socio-economic development,” Dr Francis Sang, the RECSA executive secretary, said.Dr Sang added that over the decades, African continent has become the preferred dumping ground for small arms and light weapons thus becoming a host to large number of conflicts.Participants will discuss arms marking, types and marking technologies.The National Focal Point Coordinator on illicit small arms and light weapons, ACP Sam Karemera said Rwanda National Police, Rwanda Correctional Service, and Intersec Security Company are among the institutions whose small arms and light weapons were marked and recorded.