STATEMENT BY THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF SOUTH AFRICA

DR NC DLAMINI ZUMA

AT THE OAU MINISTERIAL CONFERENCE ON THE ILLICIT PROLIFERATION, CIRCULATION AND TRAFFICKING IN SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS

30 NOVEMBER 2000
BAMAKO , MALI

Mr President, Secretary-General of the OAU, Your Excellencies, Ministers, Ambassadors, Distinguished Participants,

Mr Chairperson, I would like to congratulate you on your election.

I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the Government and people of Mali for generously hosting this historic first OAU Ministerial Conference on the Illicit Proliferation, Circulation and Trafficking in Small Arms and Light Weapons. I also wish to thank the Government of Mali for the warm welcome extended to myself and my delegation here in Bamako .

This gathering here in Mali to consider such an important matter bears witness to the leading role played by Mali, under the leadership of His Excellency, President Alpha Oumar Konare, in the prevention, combating and eradication of the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons in all its aspects. Your dedicated commitment to eradicate this scourge from our continent serves as an inspiration to us all.

Chairperson and distinguished delegates,

Our common vision is one of renewal and prosperity for Africa through a focus on sustainable peace, security, stability and development for all the people of the continent. In striving to attain these ideals, we should seek to eliminate those obstacles that stand in our way to realising our vision of Africa .

While the use of a single weapon of mass destruction may threaten innumerable people in the world with horrific devastation and even complete annihilation, small arms and light weapons have increasingly become the preferred weapons in conflicts and criminal activities throughout the world, especially on our continent.

It is thus recognised that the unimpeded accessibility of prolific quantities of small arms and light weapons severely constrains socio-economic development and endangers the stability of our continent. The excessive and destabilising accumulation of these weapons threaten the well-being of all Africa 's people and their right to live in peace.

Chairperson and Distinguished Delegates,

We recognised the urgent need for inter-African co-operation to address the illicit proliferation, circulation and trafficking in small arms and light weapons. We commend the Secretary-General, H.E. Dr Salim Ahmed Salim for the leadership role that the OAU has played thus far with its expert facilitation of our co-operation in developing a framework to address the issue in all its complexity.

The problems resulting from the proliferation of these instruments of destruction knows no boundaries. They touch the lives of innocent civilians, most of whom are women and children in all countries of each subregion throughout Africa . It is thus of the utmost importance that these problems are tackled from a collective continental and comprehensive perspective. The sustained efforts of the OAU and its partners to involve Member States, international organisations, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders have efficiently paved the way for this conference. The African common position on the proliferation of small arms and light weapons has culminated in the draft declaration which we will be considering during this event. The efforts to find a common position for the continent have culminated in the draft declaration we will be considering today.

We can present it to the rest of the world with pride as a position that binds us together in a common quest to rid the continent of the threat of small arms and light weapons. We need to declare our commitment to the pursuit of a peaceful, prosperous Africa with conviction, not only here, but also during the preparations for and at the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects.

Chairperson and Distinguished Delegates

We also need to acknowledge that this declaration is but the beginning of an implementation process that will require our thorough attention, one in which we will have to find ways, both of a legislative and practical nature, to realise the vision of a peaceful, secure and developed Africa. We will also have to revisit the commitments made during this conference to judge whether we are still moving in the right direction.

The commitment which we will make here in Bamako must be absolute and consistent. The issues of the proliferation of small arms and light weapons must never become a mere passing concern. We must forge ahead towards an Africa where the small, light weapons that destroy the lives of massive numbers of people no longer pose a threat. We must accept our responsibility as citizens of the continent to do this together. It therefore means we have to look at the follow-up mechanisms to make sure that the declaration does not become mere words.

As part of that mechanism we have to involve our population at large, especially women, in this campaign.

We have to get the commitment of the countries of the North who are the main producers and distributors of small arms and light weapons, convince them to destroy all arms they no longer use instead of them finding their way to Africa.

We have to link this issue to the campaign against child soldiers. Children should be allowed to be children, play and be protected and secure. Children should not be turned into killers and murderers by turning children into child soldiers we are destroying future generations and destroying humanity.

I thank you Chairperson