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The National Small Arms Commission (NSAC) last Saturday destroyed 1,300 illegal guns in the country but warned that there were still more than 1.1 million of such firearms and light weapons that might be in wrong hands.
 
The guns, which were marked and broken before being set on fire, included locally made single- and double-barrelled shotguns, locally made and imported pistols, pump action guns and local mortars.

The number of illegal firearms in wrong hands means that for Ghana’s 27 million population, the ratio of illegal arms to the population is 1:25. 

It is estimated that there are 2.3 million weapons in civilian hands in Ghana, with only 1.2 million of that number having been registered. 

The guns were destroyed as part of activities to mark the UN International Day for the destruction of weapons in Accra. 

The day seeks to eliminate gun-fuelled violence.

Most of the guns were seized in 2015 by the various security agencies from smugglers and suspected armed robbers and during conflicts and raids on small arms manufacturers.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of the Interior, Mr Prosper Bani, urged all those in possession of unlicensed weapons to take urgent steps to get them registered.

“The law enforcement agencies will ensure that individuals found in possession of unlicensed weapons are arrested and prosecuted,” he warned.

Experts say efforts to enhance public security by collecting and securely disposing of small arms, light weapons and their ammunition have a long history but have gained increased prominence over the past two decades in the context of broader programmes for the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants, security sector reforms and armed violence prevention and reduction.

Election conflicts 

According to experts, the illicit trade in arms and light weapons had not only led to the proliferation of conflicts in most countries, including Ghana, but also the illicit transfer, storage, diversion and misuse of small arms and their ammunition, which were major contributors to pre- and post-election related armed conflicts in most parts of the world.