With the ratification by the government of Benin, the 'Convention against the proliferation of light and small caliber weapons' (ALPC) adopted in June 2006 in Abuja by the 15 member states of Western African States Economic Community (ECOWAS).
The Dakar based organism issued a note saying that the importance of Benin's ratification last September 29, (joining Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Togo), allows for the convention to be adopted.
The text prohibits arms trafficking between the ECOWAS member states as well as the transfer of weapons to non state actors without the agreement of the importing country's government; the convention has some allowances for cases of legitimate defense, threats to national security or to cases where one of the signatory countries is engaged in a peacekeeping mission.
Six other countries have yet to ratify the accord; "for the purposes of the region's collective security and seeing the cross border movements of light weapons, it is necessary that the Convention be ratified by all ECOWAS member states" said Ghanaian Mohamed Ibn Chambas, president of the Organism's Commission.
The convention has also allowed for the institution of national Commissions to coordinate the struggle against weapons and a Group for the Supra-national control led by independent 'experts'. [AB]
