Mussie Hailu, URI African Continental Coordinator, shakes hands after the memorandum signing
On behalf of URI Africa I present you warm greetings. Following the meetings I attended on the possibility of URI Africa working together with the Regional Centre on Small Arms (RECSA), in the effort to fight against small arms and light weapons, and to address its impact on peace and security in Africa, I am thrilled to share this news with you: On February 23, 2015 URI Africa signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with RECSA. The MOU provides a framework for the two organizations to collaborate in complementary activities to address the problems of small arms in Africa and promote peace education.
URI-Africa and RECSA will work together to contribute towards countering violent extremism and terrorism. Among other things, the peace education will target mental and heart disarmament. RECSA is an intergovernmental organization established in June 2005 to coordinate the implementation of the Nairobi Protocol for the Prevention, Control and Reduction of Small Arms and Light Weapons in the Great Lakes Region, the Horn of Africa, and bordering states in its 15 Member States.
RECSA’s vision is a safe and secure sub-region in a peaceful continent free from arms proliferation. RECSA’s Member States are Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania, and Uganda.
From the Event’s Press Release:
Speaking during the MOU signing ceremony, Mr. Théoneste Mutsindashyaka, RECSA’s Executive Secretary, noted that small arms are the weapons of choice in violent crime such as terrorism, drug trafficking, poaching, piracy, rape and carjacking. He stressed the need to address the problem of small arms, which negatively impacts development. “We need joint and concerted effort between all stakeholders to comprehensively and effectively address the problem of insecurity brought about by the easy availability of illegal weapons,” he added
He encouraged RECSA Member States to develop and strengthen their partnership with civil society organizations like URI-Africa at local, national and regional levels to raise public awareness on the dangers of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
In his remarks, Ambassador Mussie Hailu, Regional Director of URI Africa & Representative of URI to African Union, Economic Commission for Africa and UN office at Nairobi said, “There is a strong need for regional and international partnerships to curb and eradicate the illicit proliferation, circulation and trafficking of small arms and light weapons in Africa. It is with this in mind that URI-Africa is signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with RECSA to work together on addressing the problem of small arms. It is not possible to think about peace when the problem of the proliferation of illicit weapons continues to have devastating consequences for stability and development in Africa.”
He added that in order to promote peace, security, stability and sustainable development, it is vital to address the problem of small arms in a comprehensive, integrated, sustainable and efficient manner through the enhancement of the capacity of Member States of the African Union to identify, seize and destroy illicit weapons and to put in place measures to control the circulation, possession, transfer and use of small arms and light weapons in Africa.
RECSA and URI will continue to cooperate in RECSA Member States in the areas of research, peace building, advocacy and public awareness, and capacity building, among others.
