Firearms have particularly fuelled overlapping and uncontained conflicts in Sierra Leone, Liberia and most recently Cote D’Ivoire, as well as non-conflict related crime and violence. Small arms remain the primary weapons of intra- and inter-communal feuds, local wars, armed insurrections, armed rebel activities and terrorism throughout the region.

As a result of the armed conflict in the region, hundreds if not thousands have already been killed, hundreds of thousands displaced or made refugees, and an immeasurable amount of property destroyed. In addition, small arms have been used to grossly violate human rights, to facilitate the practice of bad governance, to subvert constitutions, to carry out coup d’états and to create and maintain a general state of fear, insecurity and instability.

IANSA's partners in West Africa, under the banner of the West African Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA), are working with governments and other NGOs to curb the proliferation of small arms in the region through:

• Supporting the implementation and evaluation of the ECOWAS moratorium on the import, export and manufacture of small arms and light weapons (see below)
• Engaging in weapons collection and destruction programs throughout the region
• Assisting in the disarming, demobilizing and re-integrating of ex-combatants
• Educating public officials, journalists and the public about the extent of the small arms crisis in the region and measures to curb proliferation

About WAANSA

Established in May 2002 in Accra, Ghana, the West Africa Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA) is a network of more than 50 organizations from Benin, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo working to prevent the proliferation of small arms in the region. WAANSA serves as a forum for the exchange of information, views, experiences and strategies in combating the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in West Africa; works for the reduction of demand for small arms and light weapons in the region; and provides solidarity to all those who work on small arms issues.

WAANSA network members include national civil society organisations, networks or coalitions of civil society organisations; experts, civil and political leaders, popular and outstanding figures, and others.

Contact information:

West African Action Network on Small Arms (WAANSA)
PO Box CT 4317, Cantonments
Accra, Ghana
Tel: +233 21 770 563
Fax: +233 21 811 322

Chairman: Baffour Amoa
waansa15@yahoo.co.uk

View the WAANSA founding document here

Small Arms Survey: Africa

Other organizations in the region:

West African Network for Peace Building

Consultation on Ecumenical Action on Small Arms in West Africa (CEASAWA)

UNIDIR Peace-building and Practical Disarmament in West Africa Page


News stories and resources:

Regional Control Arms Programme Update: West Africa
December 2006

Security Council Calls For West African Cooperation To Curb Small Arms Trafficking
18 March 2003

ECOWAS Summit, Dakar, Senegal

ECOWAS Moratorium History and News

EU Troika meeting with ECOWAS on the Ivory Coast, Liberia, economic integration and conflict prevention
29 November 2002

Book On Arms Proliferation in West Africa for Launch
21 November 2002

Nigeria’s War On Cross Border Crime
31 October 2002

UN Urges West African Arms Ban
3 July 2002

Weapons Recycling Big in West Africa
6 May 2002

PBS Gunrunning in Sierra Leone Series
May 2002

Gun Smuggling in the Niger Delta
World Press Review
23 June 2001

Bamako Declaration on an African Common Position on the Illicit Proliferation, Circulation and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons
30 November 2000

UN DDA Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms African Regional Workshop (Togo)
2-4 August 1999

UN Press Statement on Illicit Trafficking in Small Arms African Regional Workshop (Togo)
30 July 1999

Bamako Declaration on the African Common Position on the Illicit Proliferation, Circulation, and Trafficking in Small Arms and Light Weapons

ECOWAS Small Arms Control Program Newsletter Nov 09

West African treaty on gun violence becomes law November 2009

Guinean security forces shoot unarmed protesters September 2009

Africa and an Arms Trade Treaty ISS August 2009

Nigerian combatants surrender their weapons August 2009

Tracking Gun Violence in Nigeria, March to May 2009

Olive Branch

Small arms high on the NAM agenda July 2009

ECOWAS Small Arms Control Program Update May-June 09

Communiqué TCA Lomé Fr

ATT Lome Communique En

ATT Meeting Lomé, Togo

15-16 April 2009

Regional civil society meeting on conflict prevention, communique December 2008

Cote d'Ivoire

Guinea

Blood At the Crossroads - Case Studies. Amnesty International, September 2008

Liberian President supports Arms Trade Treaty Opening of UN General Assembly, 23 September 2008

The Arms Trade Treaty, International Transfers and Development, supported by 20 African governments, September 2008

Compte-rendu de la Conférence de Nairobi sur les transferts internationaux d’armes, septembre 2008

Déclaration du RASALAO CI du cambriolage de la poudrière de la Garde républicaine de Yamoussoukro, août 2008

Arms Control Africa

July 2008, ISS

Global Week of Action 2008

Events in Africa

Assessment Report 2007

Liberia National Commission

Les femmes et les enfants principales victimes des armes légères
Le Soleil (Senegal), 19 mars 2008

(voir plus des articles)

ECOWAS Advisory Board on Small Arms Control
Mandate and members

West Africa Control Arms Update: February 2008

(text-only version)

Click here for version with images (warning: 4MB)

Bulletin de Contrôle des Armes en Afrique de l’Ouest : Février 2008 (4MB)

Statement on US President Bush visit to Ghana (FOSDA, 18 February 2008)

Mano River Union -

statement on small arms

November 2007

Union du Fleve Mano - declaration ALPC

Novembre 2007

Sierra Leone peace CD launched

iEARN, November 2007

Guinea-Bissau: Millionth bullet destroyed

Press release, 30 October 2007

Annual report 2006-07, Nigerian Action Network on Small Arms (NANSA)

Conflict costs Africa $300 billion since 1990

October 2007

President Kufuor: UN must stem flood of guns

September 2007

Non-violence Activists and Election Observers Return from the Field with Positive Reports on “Ballot Not Bullets” Campaign

SLANSA press release

13 August 2007

Regional Control Arms Programme Update: West Africa, August 2007

Côte d’Ivoire: Guns burned in peace ceremony

30 July 2007

Week of Action 2007
Events in Africa

ECOWAS President endorses global Week of Action

June 2007

Le Président de la CEDEAO soutient la Semaine Mondiale d’Action Contre la Violence Armée

Juin 2007

ECOWAS Summit outcome document

ATT and ECOWAS Convention supported by Heads of State, 15 June 2007

CEDAO rapport final

Regional Control Arms Programme Update: West Africa, February 2007

West African network adopts constitution, January 2007

Communique

Réseau ouest africain adopte constiitution, janvier 2007

Communiqué

Regional Control Arms Programme Update: West Africa, December 2006

Afi Yakubu wins Edberg Award for her work in West Africa, December 2006

Nigerian activist murdered

11 October 2006

Peace consolidation in West Africa

UN Security Council Presidential Statement

August 2006

Déclaration de la société civile d'Afrique francophone 2006

West Africa unites against small arms

Gunrunner convicted for violating UN embargo

Week of Action 2006
Events in West Africa

African civil society statement 2006

West African network petitions Burkina Faso to support ECOWAS Convention

Guns Out of Control: the continuing threat of small arms
IRIN news special
May 2006

Liberia: revised draft of Firearms Act ready
UNDP press release
April 24 2006

Group laments increase in illegal arms possession
24 April 2006
This Day (Nigeria)

West Africa: Charles Taylor arrested for war crimes

Sénégal: Circulation des armes légères : les femmes s'impliquent dans la lutte
Wal Fadjri (Dakar)
10 Mars 2006

Paix en Casamance : Les femmes de « Kabonkétor » engagent une campagne contre les armes légères
Le soleil (Sénégal)

Lutter contre la prolifération des armes légères en Afrique
Le Mensuel de l’Université

Focus on Arms for Development
UNDP newsletter
March 2006 (Liberia - PDF)

Japan donation to Liberia March 2006:
New Democrat
The Forum
The Informer
The News
Daily Observer

The human dimension of the PoA: the key role of Africa
Disarmament Forum
UNIDIR, February 2006
En français

ECOWAS Summit 2006
Report by West African IANSA members

West African gun treaty to be finalised in 2006

Neglect Responsible for Arms Proliferation in Niger Delta

'No arms to Africa' says UN official

Senegal: La circulation des armes préoccupe les députés
GRA-RADEP
27 December 2005

Le projet de loi sur le trafic d’armes à feu soumis aux députés
GRA-RADEP
27 December 2005

Guide pratique d’initiation aux activites educatives
GRA-RADEP et le ministere de l’education (Senegal)

Nollywood star calls for Control Arms

Survivors of gun violence:
Report launched across West Africa

Focus on Arms for Development
Newsletter, December 2005 (Liberia - PDF)

Liberia: Peacebuilder becomes President

Gun Smuggling in the Niger
Delta World Press Review
23 June 2001

ECOWAS mourns
Press release
25 October 2005

Un artisan de paix s’en est allé
Communiqué de MALAO
25 October 2005