Curbing growing insecurity:

CAMYOSOP advocates control of small arms and light weapons

- The NGO of international renown is presently mobilizing the Cameroon government to set up a national commission charged with implementing the Arms Trade Treaty ATT, and the Kinshasa convention on control of small arms and light weapons

By Medjane Sone in Yaounde

Executive Director of CAMYOSFOP

Ngalim Eugene Nyuydine

The government of Cameroon has been urged to create a National Commission on Small arms and light weapons as a bid towards ensuring strict monitoring and control of circulation of these weapons within and across national borders.

                The Cameroon Youths Forum for Peace, CAMYOSFOP, launched the advocacy during a two-day consultation workshop on 12 and 13 May 2016, in Yaounde.

                Organized in partnership with other stakeholder NGOs and institutions involved in the control of small arms and light weapons (SALW), notably the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA), the EU and Arms Free Africa, the consultation holding under the theme: Sensitization, Mobilization and Control of  Small Arms and Light Weapons in Cameroon,  sought to school civil society actors and government departments on the importance of the Arms Trade Treaty, ATT, notably the Kinshassa convention on Small Arms and Light Weapons, and the urgent need for Cameroon to fully implement the treaty as a way of joining the EU/AU project on the fight against the proliferation, accumulation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons in Africa.

                The workshop brought together representatives of international institutions and NGOs, officials of stakeholder government ministries notably from MINREX and MINDEF, parliamentarians, civil society actors and journalists.

                Day-one of the workshop targeted essentially officials from government institutions and representatives from international organizations, while day-two witnessed a more broad-based participation, as it brought together civil society actors as well as members of the wider public, apart from experts in matters relating to small arms and light weapons.

                In his scripted remarks during the two days, the Executive Director of CAMYOSFOP, Ngalim Eugene, who doubles as Chair of the Peace and Security Cluster of the African Union’s Economic, Social and Cultural Council, AU-ECOSOCC, hailed the Cameroon government for ratifying the Kinshasa Convention on SALW. But he at once underscored the urgent need for Cameroon to also ensure the implementation of the convention, as a means towards curbing growing insecurity in the country and the Central African sub-region.

                Mr. Ngalim seized the occasion to also launch a fervent appeal to government to set up a national commission to serve not only as focal point for implementing the Arms Trade Treaty ATT but to also ensure monitoring and control of movements of SALW in the country.

                The workaholic youth and security activist, explained that the advocacy that CAMYOSFOP is championing got its inspiration from article 28 of the Kinshasa Convention which compels governments to create national commissions charged with controlling the circulation of SALW.

                Citing examples like the Boko Haram insurgency in Nigeria and Cameroon, and other terrorist activities and civil wars in neighbouring countries, the CAMYOSFOP executive director noted that his organization could not be indifferent to the free circulation of SALW because according to him these weapons pose a far greater threat to global security than nuclear weapons, especially given that they are used almost on a daily basis.

                Joining his voice to the advocacy by CAMYOSFOP, the representative of RESCA, Eric Kayiringa, underscored the role played by RECSA in getting governments of Central African Countries to ratify the ATT. He emphasized that it is incumbent on governments to adhere to and implement treaties relating to arms control because the free, uncontrolled flow of SALW only puts the security, and by extension, the economy of nations at jeopardy.

                Other speakers at the sensitization and mobilization forum included experts on SALW from the ECCAS head office in Yaounde, and military and police officers among others.

                It is worthy of mention that CAMYOSFOP has since 2001, played a leading role in sensitizing and mobilizing government (both the executive and legislative arms), and civil society on the campaign against the proliferation of SALW. Some of the actions undertaken by CAMYOSFOP in this domain include educating and sensitizing MPs and facilitating their participation in international forums on SALW; proposing a draft bill to government for the revision of the 1973 decree on fire arms and lobbying MPs to press on government to ratify the arms trade treaty among others.

                Presently, CAMYOSFOP is lobbying the government to adhere to the AU’s vision 2063 Agenda and its pilot program “Silencing the guns by 2020.”