SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, HON BABOUCARR BLAISE ISMAILA JAGNE ADDRESSES THE SECURITY COUNCIL MINISTERIAL WORKSHOP
ON THE PROLIFERATION OF SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS, AND
THE PHENOMENON OF MERCENARIES, THREATS
TO PEACE AND SECURITY IN WEST AFRICA

The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Honourable Babucarr Blaise Ismaila Jagne has said the phenomenon of Arms proliferation and mercenaries in West Africa is of great concern to the President of the Republic of The Gambia, Alhaji Dr. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh. Honourable Jagne made these remarks in New York on Tuesday when he addressed the United Nations Ministerial Workshop on "Proliferation of small Arms, Light weapons, and the phenomenon of Mercenaries, Threats to Peace and Security in West Africa". He noted that the Gambia has been drawing the attention of the international community to these phenomena as majority contributions to the unending conflicts in Africa.

Speaking on the sub regional initiatives to address the problem, Honourable Jagne reported that ECOWAS Heads of States placed a three year moratorium on small arms and also did adopt a Plan of Action and a code of conduct with the establishment of National commissions to implement the initiatives.

Secretary Jagne highlighted the role played by militias in the proliferation of small arms and light weapons in conflicts in West Africa especially the recruitment of child soldiers. He appealed to the international community to pay more attention to the phenomenon of mercenaries who continue to fuel conflicts in the region. " The West African sub-region in particular, is riddled with war and conflict situations are driven by mercenary dominated militias", Jagne asserted. He also cited the conflict in the Mano River Union and the role of the RUF in recruiting mercenaries of various West African nationalities and the spill-over of these mercenaries into the Cote d'Ivoire conflict. Mr. Jagne noted that these mercenaries constitute a critical link in the chain of conflict and in his words, "Unless that link is broken, West Africa would know no peace or rest".

On the way forward, Secretary Jagne made the following proposals to address the problem of small arms and mercenaries in West Africa.

· The collaboration of an International instrument to hold both supplier and user of small arms and light weapons to greater account;

· The establishment of a mechanism that regulates transfers of small arms and in much the same way as the one put in place for monitoring and regulating the flow of diamonds;

· Mechanism to treat dealers and retailers in the same way as illicit drug dealers;

· Elaboration of an international convention proscribing the activities and use of mercenaries in the sub-region;

· On a sub-regional scale, the demobilization of mercenaries and their reintegration into productive and gainful economic activities in their countries of origin;

· The elaboration of a legislative instrument outlining the provision of safe havens, rear bases, logistics, supplies etc. to mercenaries and other uses of illicit small arms and light weapons.

The Secretary of State was accompanied by the Permanent Representative of The Gambia to the United Nations, His Excellency, Ambassador Crispin Grey-Johnson.