One gun per 20 Africans

2003-09-23 19:53

Nairobi - About 30 million light weapons are in circulation in sub-Saharan Africa, far fewer than previous estimates have suggested, according to a new report released Tuesday.

The 2003 version of Small Arms Survey, a report by the Geneva-based organisation of the same name, says armed conflict is on the decline in Africa and regional agreements to limit small arms are being put into place.

"The prospects of combating the problem of small arms proliferation and misuse in Africa might be more positive than generally assumed," says the report, released on Tuesday in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

Previous estimates have put sub-Saharan Africa's cache of small arms -defined as weapons that can be carried by one person - at 100 million.

Still, the estimate of 30 million means there is one weapon in circulation for every 20 people on the continent.

Light weapons are Africa's "primary tools used in armed conflict to kill and maim," says the report.

"They have also contributed to a rise in the incidence and lethality of criminality, the erosion of social services and a decline in economic activities across the continent," it adds.

Sapa-DPA

- SAPA