The availability of small arms combined with protracted armed conflicts have led to weapons ending in the wrong hands in some African countries.
According to the international Committee of Red Cross President, the availability of these weapons has had far-reaching consequences.
“At the present moment the discrepancy is still striking between the political commitments in the arms trade treaty and the actual behavior and ease with which arms are transferred to actors who obviously do not respect international law,” Peter Maurer the International Red Cross Committee President said
This state of affairs will be a key talking point, during the upcoming Arms Trade Treaty conference, in Mexico. It is hoped that during the meeting, governments will decide on the mechanisms needed to implement arms control agreements.
Arms control groups are hoping the first Conference of State Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty, in Mexico, will help curb the widespread availability of weapons to armed groups, particularly in Africa. Susan Mwongeli reports
