Joseph Farha
Project leader
showSUPPORTING SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS (SALW) CONTROL IN AFRICA
From locks at an armoury to an African Common Position on Small Arms Control—our project addresses the current challenges in small arms and light weapons (SALW) control in Africa from the practical to the strategic level. We assist our partners in implementing the provisions set out in relevant SALW control regimes, thereby strengthening these regimes, countering the risk of diversion and unintended explosions and increasing community security.
Our embedded advisers at the African Union (AU) and ECOWAS, and staff in Bonn provide advice and capacity-building to national, regional and international organisations. Our methods include facilitating dialogue, supporting regional training of trainers in physical security and stockpile management (PSSM), harmonising regulatory frameworks and introducing new components as needed. We also conduct mixed-methods research to analyse the impact of environmental changes on conflict and the use of SALW.
During the reporting period, we supported the AU in developing an African Common Position on Small Arms Control in preparation for the 2024 UN Programme of Action on SALW Review Conference. We continued to support PSSM through regional training courses for technical experts in the RECSA and ECOWAS regions. These courses create regional pools of trainers who can act as multipliers and train technical staff at local, national and regional levels.
With RECSA, we developed a new training module focusing on cross-cutting issues in the region. We also developed and implemented new training on the identification and tracing of weapons and continued to produce and disseminate updated SALW guides and infographics during our training activities and other events. A cornerstone of our project is an annual course in Germany where we sensitise senior representatives of African national and regional organisations to the importance of weapons and ammunition management (WAM) and how to make meaningful improvements in arms control.
Publications
bicc report
Other publications
Other publications
Journal Article
More bang for their buck: Enhancing the sustainability of surplus ammunition destruction programs
(2019)
Open
Other publications
Training report: Physical security and stockpile management (PSSM) orientation course.
BICC , Khartoum, Sudan (2017)
Open
bicc Knowledge notes
Controlling small arms: Practical lessons in civilian disarmament and anti-trafficking
bicc , Bonn (2018)
Open
Journal Article
bicc Annual report
bicc Knowledge notes
bicc Policy brief
The final round: Combating armed actors, organized crime and wildlife trafficking
BICC , Bonn (2016)
Open
bicc Working paper
bicc Working paper
Matching needs and resources: Small arms control initiatives in the Greater Sahel, 2015–2016
BICC , Bonn (2016)
Open
bicc Working paper
Evaluation of the MSAG/IPSTC train-the-trainer project in physical security and stockpile management
BICC , Bonn (2016)
Open
Other publications
Media Products
Websites
Project Team
Project Partners
