July 22, 2021
By: James Kamara-Manneh
Sierra Leone National Commission for Small Arms (SLeNCSA) together with Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) yeserday 21st July 2021 commenced a two days’ Workshop at the Sierra Bay Hotel, Aberdeen in Freetown.
The training workshop is tailored on the theme: “Capacity Building Workshop for Effective Implementation of the Arms Trade Treaty in the Western Region.”
In his opening statements, SLeNCSA’s Commission Brig-Gen (Rtd) Tamba R. Allieu described the workshop as a milestone in the work of the commission. He added that the ATT is the first globally and legally binding instrument to regulate the international trade on conventional Arms. He said this treaty was adopted by the United Nation General Assembly in 2013 and came into force in 2014.
It was disclosed that Sierra Leone signed the ATT on the 25th September 2013 and was ratified on the 12th August 2014,.
The country became the 43rd member to ratify the treaty. A-Z also gathered from the workshop that Sierra Leone was among the first 50 countries globally before the treaty was enforced.
Rtd Brig-Gen Allieu said the workshop will serve as an introductory part that will expose trainers to basic concept of the ATT, provisions and how to apply them in daily activities. He reflected on the recent apprehension of illegal ammunition at the Queen Elizabeth II quay in Freetown and the other at Gbalamuya checkpoint the border crossing point between Sierra Leone and Guinea.
He added that the training is for Security personnel in the Western Area, and later they will replicate it in the provinces.
A representative from RSLAF said the Arms trade Treaty aims at reducing human suffering caused by illegal and irresponsible arms transfer, improve regional security and stability as well as to promote accountability and transparency by states parties concerning transfer of conventional arms.
He said different countries have made available on financial value of their arms export as well estimates for those that only provide data on arms export and license agreement.
The RSLAF representative said that an effective implementation of Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) will promote justice, peace and security, and will also transform arms business.
On the other hand, the argued that poorly regulated global trade in conventional small arms and ammunition has fueled conflict, poverty and human rights abuses. This is as a result of increasing arms trades that obtains cross the world and production and assembly in different countries with little supervision or control.
Speaking to this medium, the Assistant Director Border and Provincial Security Department, Mr. Manso Mansaray Office of National Security ONS, said the workshop is important to his institution in that they can be briefed about the situation regarding the proliferation of small arms and light arms in the country. At the end of the training, Mr. Mansaray said they expect to be attuned about issues unfolding relative to the proliferation of small arms in the country and the measures instituted to checkmate the incidences..
“Even though the borders are porous they are under our watchful eyes, our spotlight. We do visit these borders and not only capacitate the officers but also monitor them in terms of what comes in and out of the country as part of our strict surveillance”, said Mansaray.
He assured Sierra Leoneans that the country is safe that the monitoring sector is up and running and when it comes to smuggling of arms ONS do act on the spot especially at the class A borders.
Major Ibrahim Sankoh attached to the Joint Force Command as Staff Officer Grade 2, said the training is timely considering the proliferation of arms and ammunition within the regions coupled with the threat posed by terrorism in other parts of the sub region. He said the lesson and information that will be gathered from the workshop will be deliberated on by senior personnel of the RSLAF to design strategies and implements them across the country.
From the perspective of ECOWAS, the project coordinator for Organize Crime for Regional West Africa Response to Trafficking, Oliver Victoria Davies said their organization is one of the wings of ECOWAS supported by UNDP.
In responding to the timeliness of the training, Madam Davies said the country is emerging from war and chances of relapse cannot be taken for granted taking into consideration historic and the daily happenings.
She further stated that due to regional threats in the form of regional terrorism, from the Sub-Sahara to the Gulf of Guinea, the organization has instituted structured monitoring team that is used to sensitize the people securing the borders on the danger of small arms proliferation. Madam Davies said they also capacitate the security guards within the borders and work towards eliminating this menace.
Many other speakers from different security and public sector will add their voices to the deliberations on smalls during the second day of the workshop which ending today.