Towards a Safe and Secure Nation: The First Consultative Conference on Firearm Control, Ownership and Administration in Botswana, 13-15 May
Keynote speech by H.E. The President of BotswanaMr Festus G Mogae
Let me begin by welcoming you all to this important Conference. I am particularly pleased to welcome those of you who came from outside our frontiers, in particular the representatives of Japan, Mozambique, Tanzania and the African Union. We appreciate your readiness to come and share your ideas, experiences and expertise with us in the field of firearms control.
The issues before this Conference affect states, regions and continents. In a world of porous borders and in the era of globalization, the problems that any one nation faces are the common challenges of all of us. No country can isolate or insulate itself from the problems of others.
The convening of this conference is indeed timely. In this respect, I wish to take this opportunity to emphasize that my Government shares with the public a growing concern about the number of instances of crimes involving firearms in our country. Since the beginning of 2001, a total of 1,42 firearms were used in cases that resulted in either the loss of life or potential loss of life. These cases included 51 murders, 29 suicides and 26 attempted murders.
There has over the last decade also been a modest, but nonetheless worrisome, rise in the number of reported cases of stolen firearms. While our overall statistics for firearms offences remain modest when compared to those of many other nations, they leave us with no room for complacency.
Of course firearms are not the only weapons that currently plague our society. Over the past few years a much greater number of individuals have been assaulted with weapons other than firearms, such as knives, resulting in additional fatalities.
To meet this criminal challenge our Police Service already has a number of strategies in place. These include:
- The increased deployment of personnel during the evening hours when there is more crime. In this context special patrol teams have already been established at all of our major stations.
- Additional increased deployments during the weekends and holiday periods in order to further improve law enforcement visibility and response during these crucial periods.
- Greater use of roadblocks at strategic locations.
- The launching, since this past January, of what are called "Stop, Question and Search" operations. This initiative authorizes on duty Police Officers to use their discretion in searching people for concealed firearms, as well as knives and other dangerous weapons. Already, this step has produced positive results and will therefore continue.
The rise in armed robberies and homicide can, in part, be attributed to a proliferation of illegal guns coming across our borders. In this respect, we must bear in mind that the transnational trafficking of illegal firearms is a burden to all of the states in our region, and indeed the wider international community. This challenge therefore calls for new collective initiatives.
It is only appropriate therefore that we recognize the need for joint efforts in tackling problems. I believe it is this spirit of unity of purpose, shared responsibility and mutuality of interests that brings us together.
I am delighted to note that this Consultative Conference is truly national in character as it brings together civil society organizations, traditional leaders and members of the House of Chiefs, legislators and law enforcement agencies, lawyers and representatives of the administration of justice. In doing so, we are saying security issues are not the concern of Police Officers alone. Mothers, fathers, children and the elderly are the primary beneficiaries of public security and safety.
It is also pleasing to note that the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs, Trade and Security is fully represented. I take it that it is a demonstration of the importance that the Chairman and Members of the Committee attach to these weighty issues.
I encourage the participants to seize this opportunity by clearly articulating the concerns of members of the public so that the legislators can faithfully reflect the collective views of the people of Botswana when the relevant legislation is brought before Parliament.
Government recognizes that the proliferation of small arms and light weapons increasingly impinges on and poses a threat to the peace and stability of nations. It is in this the context that the First National Consultative Conference on Firearms Control, Ownership and Administration in Botswana: Towards a Safe and Secure Nation is an integral part of the global efforts to combat the illicit proliferation of small arms and light weapons.
It is often said that charity begins at home, but it should not end there. In this respect, in 2002, Botswana undertook a review of the legislation regulating the circulation and/or transfer of small arms and light weapons. Government has now decided that the Arms and Ammunition Act should be amended. The amendments are aimed at, inter alia, making it illegal for any form of brokering and outlaw the illegal manufacture, trade, transfer/retransfer or diversion of such weapons.
The proposed amendments have not yet been submitted to Parliament. This Conference is aimed at providing you with an opportunity to contribute to the process of refining the draft legislation. In the final analysis, it is you, the people of Botswana, who have a major interest in this legislation. It affects your safety and security as well as that of your children. It is my hope that you will exercise your democratic right by making an input on areas that you consider necessary to be covered before the legislative process is finalized.
I believe we must move speedily to put the necessary legal infrastructure in place. The next phase would be to strengthen the institutional capacity for national law enforcement as well as regional and international cooperation. In this regard, I am pleased that the institutional mechanism exists in the form of the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Coordinating Organisation. In addition, I am also pleased to say we have a training institution, the International Law Enforcement Academy (ILEA) which provides a strong foundation for skills development, capacity building and regional cooperation amongst law enforcement agencies in Africa and the wider international community.
Africa has experienced the worst forms of armed conflict since the end of the cold war. In Southern Africa, the end of protracted armed liberation struggles which had relied mainly on the use of light weapons resulted in such weapons falling into the wrong hands. A large number of weapons are in the hands of criminal syndicates. The criminal groups originally operated within the boundaries of states, but it is increasing becoming evident that they have begun to operate across borders.
In addition, research indicates that in Southern Africa, "gun runners and drug peddlers are beginning to pool their resources to maximize profits". It is therefore not surprising that the direct result has been an increase in criminal acts committed with military style weapons in armed robberies, hijacking, and stealing of livestock, to mention but a few.
We therefore cannot afford to be satisfied with measures that Botswana alone has adopted. We must endeavour to fully cooperate and coordinate our programmes and activities with those of our neighbouring states. Criminals already operate across borders and therefore our enforcement agencies have no option but to work together if they are to succeed in being a step ahead of the criminal groups.
The Southern African Development Community (SADC) recognizes the phenomenon of small arms as one of the serious challenges facing the region. It is for this reason that the
SADC Protocol on Firearms and Ammunition and Other Related Materials was adopted in August, 2001. The Protocol is an essential framework for regional cooperation not only in preventing, combating and eradicating the illicit manufacturing of firearms and ammunition, but also and most importantly, in harmonizing legislation to address these issues.
At the continental level we have adopted the Bamako Declaration on An African Common Position on the Illicit Proliferation, Circulation and Trafficking of Small Arms and Light Weapons. There can be no doubt therefore that across the entire length and breath of Africa, the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons is seen as posing a threat to the efforts that countries are making to improve the human condition.
The international community is unanimous on the need to give high priority attention to find durable solutions to combating this scourge. In this respect, the United Nations Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects adopted a Programme of Action to combat the problem. I am convinced, therefore, that there is an overwhelming global body of opinion that is committed to fighting the illicit trade in small arms and light weapons.
The goodwill exists for us to enter into partnership with the rest of the international community in confronting this common challenge. However, the task we have is first to create the necessary framework within which we can engage our friends and partners.
This Conference offers us that opportunity. I believe that we have the capacity and ingenuity to uphold the spirit of the United Nations Programme of Action, the Bamako Declaration, the SADC Protocol on the Control of Firearms, Ammunition and other Related Materials, and above all, to act nationally.
On that note, it gives me great pleasure to declare the First National Consultative Conference on Firearms Control, Ownership and Administration in Botswana officially open.
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