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Kenya backs global arms treaty to foster peace

Xinhua, March 19, 2015 Adjust font size:

Kenya has expressed its commitment to the global Arms Trade Treaty which has the potential to stop the flow of weapons to countries where they would most likely be used to criminal acts and human rights abuses.

Cabinet Secretary for Internal Security Joseph Nkaissery said the impacts of armed violence have devastating consequences in many regions of the world, particularly in Africa, where most of the violence is characterized by intra-state wars.

"I wish to reaffirm Kenya's commitment to the Arms Trade Treaty which will foster peace and security, putting a stop to destabilizing arms flows to conflict areas within the region," he told a regional conference on small arms and light weapons on Thursday.

He said the Treaty will also help in preventing human rights abuse and help keep criminal cartels, pirates and gangs from acquiring these deadly weapons which have made the region vulnerable.

Nkaissery told the meeting organized by the Regional Centre on Small Arms in Nairobi that conflict is a great source of human suffering as it affects entire ethnic groups, gender and religion.

Proliferation of small arms is to blame for tribal skirmishes and cattle rustling in Kenya's northern frontier districts. The East African nation is surrounded by neighboring countries that for a long time experienced civil strife which immensely contributed to the influx of the illegal weapons into the hands of gangsters and cattle rustlers.

In rural northern Kenya, small arms have replaced traditional weapons in ethnic warfare over pasture, water and livestock.

Nkaiserry said Kenya has so far put in place various measures to contain the proliferation of illicit weapons from countries in conflict like Somalia.

He said the government has collected and destroyed over 25,000 illicit arms, and an additional 5,000 which have been recovered now pending destructions.

He said Kenya is also drafting a comprehensive National Arms Mapping and Survey to access the availability of illicit small arms and light weapons and perception of security in Kenya. So far, the coungry has marked 85 percent of the state owned firearms to facilitate stockpile management and accountability. Endi