New Briefing Paper on the production of craft firearms in West Africa
( voir la version française ci-dessous )
Craft firearms are deeply embedded in West Africa’s culture and history, often being used for hunting, livestock protection, and in traditional ceremonies. However, these firearms are increasingly being used in crimes and civil disturbance.
Between Tradition and The Law: Artisanal Firearm Production in West Africa—a new Briefing Paper from the Small Arms Survey’s Craft Weapons in Africa: State of Play and Regulatory Approaches project—provides an overview of regional trends about the production of craft firearms, and their regulatory frameworks. It also calls for further additional research on the methods of production as well as on the trafficking dynamics of these types of weapons.
For more, check out:
- The West Africa–Sahel Connection: Mapping Cross-border Arms Trafficking—a Briefing Paper that maps cross-border arms trafficking in West Africa and the Sahel.
- Handmade and Deadly: Craft Production of Small Arms in Nigeria—a Briefing Paper that discusses the use of craft-produced weapons in firearm-related crime.
- Beyond State Control: Improvised and Craft-produced Small Arms and Light Weapons—a Report that provides an overview of the nature and scale of production, acquisition patterns, and implications for law enforcement and policy.
- The Craft Weapons In Africa: State Of Play And Regulatory Approaches page
- West Africa outputs in our Resource Library
Nouvelle note d’information sur la production artisanale d’armes à feu en Afrique de l’Ouest
La production artisanale d’armes à feu est une activité profondément ancrée dans la culture et l’histoire de l’Afrique de l’Ouest. Les armes à feu artisanales sont utilisées notamment pour la chasse de subsistance, la protection du bétail, et les activités culturelles et rituelles. Leur usage est cependant de plus en plus lié à des activités criminelles et aux troubles civils.
Entre tradition et lois: la production artisanale d’armes à feu en Afrique de l’Ouest—une note d’information du projet Craft Weapons in Africa: State of Play and Regulatory Approaches du Small Arms Survey—offre une analyse des tendances en matière de production artisanale d’armes à feu dans la région et des principales approches réglementaires adoptées pour lutter contre la prolifération de ces armes. Cette note d’information appelle aussi à poursuivre la recherche sur les méthodes de production et les dynamiques du trafic d’armes artisanales.
Pour en savoir plus :
- La connexion sahélo-ouest-africaine: une cartographie du trafic d’armes transfrontalier
- Handmade and Deadly: Craft Production of Small Arms in Nigeria
- Beyond State Control: Improvised and Craft-produced Small Arms and Light Weapons (bientôt disponible en français)
- La page du projet Craft Weapons in Africa: State of Play and Regulatory Approaches
- Les publications sur l’Afrique de l’Ouest dans notre Resource Library
Other news from the Survey:
- New HSBA Situation Update on power and violence in Warrap state, South Sudan
New joint report on effective and innovative practices among European civilian firearm registries - The Small Arms Survey and the Center for Security Studies (CENSS) joint press release on the Inception Meeting of the Ukrainian Network Group—The Risks Of Illicit Small Arms And Light Weapons Proliferation
- New HSBA Situation Update on the efforts to remove Alfred Futuyo Karaba, the governor of Western Equatoria state, South Sudan
- New HSBA Briefing Paper on South Sudan’s political economy under President Salva Kiir
- The Small Arms Survey signs project partnership with CARICOM IMPACS, the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the University of the West Indies George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre (GA-CDRC)