On 17th of June, Saferworld held, online, the first meeting of the Africa-China-Europe Expert Working Group (EWG) on conventional arms.

The group met online using Zoom – many were meeting for the first time.

The meeting was part of an Africa-China-Europe dialogue and cooperation project on preventing the diversion of arms and ammunition in Africa, which is funded by the European Union under Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/1298. This trilateral project is being implemented by Saferworld in cooperation with two regional partners, the Nairobi-based Security Research and Information Centre (SRIC), and the China Arms Control and Disarmament Association (CACDA) in Beijing.

The EWG was established to promote constructive trilateral Africa-China-Europe dialogue on the issue of the diversion of arms and ammunition in Africa, and to bring meaningful solutions to governmental stakeholders. It includes nine arms and security experts – three from each region. In addition to EWG members, the meeting brought together representatives of CACDA and SRIC, as well as Saferworld staff from country offices in Beijing, Brussels, Juba, Kampala, London, Nairobi and Vienna. Participants reviewed the rationale for the project, the key challenges posed by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), and the need for the project to adapt due to existing travel restrictions.

Despite a variety of regional and international initiatives in recent years, the illicit proliferation and diversion of arms and ammunition in Africa has continued at alarming levels. Arms are fuelling civil wars and empowering violent groups to launch attacks against governments, communities, humanitarian aid workers and United Nations (UN) peacekeeping personnel. Approximately 80 per cent of firearms in Africa are held by civilian actors and are, in the majority of cases, unlicensed. Given that most firearms in circulation in Africa originate from outside the continent, the need for the type of multilateral dialogue and co-operative action envisaged by this project is clear.

Despite the current challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the EWG agreed on the continued viability of the project and the importance of moving forward with its implementation. Participants highlighted situations of concern in specific national contexts – such as border tensions between Kenya and Ethiopia – that have been amplified by COVID-19 and which demonstrate how relevant and timely the project is. The general perception was that the project is even more relevant than before, given the additional challenges and risks the spread of the pandemic poses to peace and security across Africa.  

The EWG identified a number of challenges that facilitate the diversion of small arms and light weapons and ammunition from authorised to illicit end-users across Africa. These included: poor management of state-controlled stockpiles; lack of adequate record-keeping and tracing procedures; unregulated transfers; unmarked arms and ammunition; and a lack of harmonisation of existing arms control systems among African countries. Participants also believed that strengthening countries’ governance systems should be part and parcel of efforts to achieve long-term solutions.

The EWG noted that the forthcoming summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) – which is due to take place in Senegal in 2021 – will provide a crucial opportunity to raise awareness of these problems among stakeholders in Africa, China and Europe and also of the need for cooperative action to mitigate the risk of diversion. It was agreed that the EWG would work together on the production and dissemination of a briefing paper on ‘Combating the proliferation of illicit arms and ammunition in Africa’, which will make recommendations to FOCAC. (军控协会)